Coming Home to You
by BlackRoseOpal
Summary: They had run away. From each other. One hoping to keep him alive. And the other praying he never found her. But one quiet day... ZeroXYuki Fanfiction
1. Scent

_**Chapter 1- Scent**_

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_They had run away._

_From each other._

_One hoping to keep him alive._

_And the other praying he never found her._

Zero was in his dorm. Everything was quiet, not because the students were gone for the summer. Because Yuki had gone off with her brother Kaname, to live her life, and to keep him running. And for the first time it was completely and utterly peaceful.

Zero hated it so much he could vomit.

He missed her chirpy laughter through the halls. The clang of cooking tools as she destroyed the kitchen trying to make toast. Even the way she yelled at him for sleeping on the job.

He never expected to miss her high pitched voice so much. He was all alone except for the Chairman, locked away in his office, preparing for the next year. Zero would be a senior. Yuki _would have been_ one too.

_ God only knows how she is educating herself now_, he thought. _Especially without _someone_ to tutor her._

But he was positive that Kuran had probably gotten Yuki the finest tutor in the history of afterschool learning. The thought of that man's name made Zero's blood boil and his fingers twitch for the Bloody Rose. If only he had not let that _Pureblood_ manipulate him and everyone else around him, maybe, just maybe, he could have had Yuki.

No! He couldn't think that. He had to stay strong. Strong in the sense of blocking everything that was good in the world.

"Damnit!" he cried, his voice echoing through the halls, cutting through the silence for a split second. Why were his last words to Yuki so – heartless?!

"_Go be next too…the man who can spend eternity with you. But the next time we meet… I will kill you Yuki."_

Rage flushed up to Zero's brain and he leapt from his bed and hurled the lamp that was on his bed side table into the wall, the bulb, the vase, everything shattering; pieces stuck into the broken wall. Zero screamed and fell back on his bed. It took every ounce of his being not to shoot himself right then and there.

Why?

Why?!

WHY?!?

Why did you have to go? Why couldn't you have stayed a human? Your nightmares – I could have helped, somehow, like you helped me!

Zero lay, exhausted, on his bed, feeling the tiny gun under his pillow that Yuki had once used. He longed for there to be some lingering sign of her on the gun, a scent, a fingerprint, something. But it now had his scent and fingerprints all over it from holding it under his pillow in his sleep.

"Zero."

He didn't even bother do look up. He knew the Chairman stood in the doorway, not leaning against anything, just standing in his civil poise and proper yet loving manner.

"Zero, we have…well someone is…"

My head snapped up from a familiar scent. Here? But how? Why? Doesn't she remember what I said?

Zero jumped out of bed and shoved the Chairman out of the way, following the scent of Yuki's skin, even more intoxicating than her blood. He wove through the halls, down the stairs, through the courtyards and back into the Chairman's bedroom. There, lying on a bed of white, blotched with red sheets, was Yuki.

Zero grabbed the door frame to keep from lunging at her or to keep himself from falling. He couldn't tell which one it was.

"Yu-ki," he choked on his own breath at the sight of his childhood friend asleep, mangled and torn up. She wore her Cross Academy uniform, probably meaning she did not bother to pack anything to come. Did she come alone? Why was she so beaten up? Where was Kuran?  
Zero felt a cool hand on his shoulder as the Chairman, now with a bruised eye, walked in between him and the sleeping girl.

"Now, Zero," he said. "This may look odd, but I don't even know what is quite going on right now, so just calm yourself. And don't try anything. She is still my daughter and I don't want you to touch her until everything is sorted out, now go back to your dorm."

"No," Zero replied, coldly. He pushed the Chairman out of the way, again, and pulled up a nearby chair, sitting it next to the bed. He pulled out the Bloody Rose and tossed it towards the Chairman's feet.

"I'm not going to hurt her."

The Chairman looked down at his feet, picked up the gun, and said, "I'm keeping the door open. Don't move till I get the doctor."

And he was gone. Just like that. Did he really trust Zero that much?

Zero slumped forward, his face collapsing in his hands.

_ Who could have done this to you?_

He ran his fingers through his silver hair and rubbed his neck. He felt an unfamiliar sensation in his nose and the skin below his eyes. It tingled and twitched. Then his vision became cloudy. Liquid pooled up and spilled over his lids and down his cheeks and then he realized it.

He was crying.

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_**Author's Note:** _This is my first VK fan fiction that I've published. I'll accept constructive criticism.


	2. Escape

_**Chapter 2-- Escape**_

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First, she was stumbling up the uneven cobblestone road up to the gothic doors of Cross Academy, next thing she knew, Yuki was half-conscious, lying on her "father's" bed. At least, it smelled like him: The scent of tea and fresh laundry. That was him.

Yuki's eyes struggled to open. She had lost so much blood she had barely enough strength to stay awake. From everything she had been through to get here. She strained to see a looming figure hunched over in a chair, a tuft of silver hair covering his face.

Zero.

His shoulders shook lightly. Was he crying? Zero never cried? Yuki could not tell if she was merely hallucinating from blood lost. She felt herself falling back into the blackness of sleep and she dreamed. She dreamed of her long journey. And what her choice had given her in the end.

_She threw off her torn up silk dress and hurled it across the room. Yuki collapsed onto her bed, sobbing violently. How could he do this to her? How was this possible? How could Oni-sama love her in one breath and in the next…?_

_ She couldn't think straight. Her head spun. She was in pain. So much pain. For the first time in a long time she longed to be back at the Academy, on Guardian duty, staying up in the wee hours of the morning, inspecting the campus, making sure it was free of sneaky fan girls. She missed how the Chairman begged her to call him "Daddy", or how Zero—_

_ A fresh round of sobs barely gave Yuki room to breathe. She buried her head into her pillow and screamed as loud as she could and thrashed about her bed like a child. She felt old, and used and worthless. There were not enough breakable things in her room to express how furiously crushed she was. She had knocked over her dresser in front of the door, on top of locking it, to make sure no one could get to her for a long time._

_ Unless they came in through the window._

_ Yuki sat up, her red, puffy eyes staring at the portal to the outside world. The waterworks shut off and she ran over and knelt at her overturned dresser. Yanking out one of the drawers, she grabbed the first thing she felt and dressed herself hastily. It was only after she was dressed when she realized she was wearing her old Cross Academy uniform. The necklace lay in the drawer of her vanity, collecting dust, along with the bracelet…_

_ Just for the hell of it, Yuki went to the vanity and put on the necklace, and hesitated at the bracelet, but picked it up and stuck it in her pocket anyway. Just before she was about to head out of the window, there was a loud knock on the door._

_ "Yuki. Move the dresser."_

_ Of course Kaname-sama would know what she had done._

_ "I don't want to have to ruin a perfectly good dresser just to get to you. We need to talk about what happened."_

_ Yuki did not say anything. She felt a fresh round of tears coming up over her eyelids. She quietly opened the window and just as Kaname burst the door open with his mind, Yuki was gone. She leapt out of the window, landing on the soft ground a bit less gracefully than she would have preferred and made a beeline to anywhere but backwards._

_ "Yuki! Come back, now."_

_ The icy cold voice that used to make Yuki's knees weak now propelled her more forward than ever. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, as fast as her beaten body could take. Before she knew it, she halted in front of Kaname._

How did he catch up to me, _Yuki thought. He stood there, his black coat blew in the strong breeze._

_ "Yuki," he said calmly, absolutely no trace of emotion in his face, his stone cold face._

_ "Don't come near me Oni-san," said Yuki, harshly._

_ "Not –sama?" he replied. "Have you lost that much respect for me?"_

_ "After what you did, yes. I now realize the choice I made a long time ago was the worse choice I could have made."_

_ Kaname grabbed Yuki's wrists and pulled her towards him and whispered, "You did not _have _a choice. One way or another you would have come with me. It was the plan all along, ever since you were born. You were born to be with me, Yuki. Not –"_

_ "Not who, Kaname?" Yuki said, wrenching herself from his grip. "Not Zero? Not that Former Human? Not that _Level E? _Kiryu? Take your pick. Zero was my best friend. And after… after I changed, EVERYTHING changed. I could not look at anyone the same way again. Not even you."_

_ She tried to run past him, but he grabbed her waist and pulled her in for a hard kiss. Yuki winced and tried to push him away. She was reminded of the night he had awakened her vampire self, digging his fangs into her neck, despite her protests and cries of help. He had simply covered her mouth and continued the process. After another attempt to free herself, Kaname once again pulled her back. His hand landed on her flat stomach and he gave a look of shock and then of content, and then some unreadable look between victory and the look of a predator cornering his prey._

_ "Yuki, you cannot leave me," he said. "You were _made_ for me. I am your only option. Especially now that you're carrying my child."_

_ Yuki gasped and looked down. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. How could he know already?_

_ "How?"_

_ Kaname held his hand up and said, "Pureblood, remember?"_

_ "You're wrong!" Yuki cried. "Let me go! I want to go home!"_

_ "You are home."_

_ "Cross Academy is my home! Not here! Not with you!"  
And she pulled herself away, only to be grabbed by Kaname once more. She could feel herself bruising from his grip, on her arms, her lips, and her neck. Finally, she concentrated all her Pureblood power on Kaname's mind and he fell to his knees, clutching his head, giving her enough time to stumble away while he writhed in pain on the ground._

_ "You'll regret this, Yuki," he cried. "You'll come back to me! For your own good! For your child!"_

_ She did not stop, even when her lungs were screaming with pain and her legs felt like they would run right out from under her waist and leave her writhing on the ground, she kept going._

_ She did not know how long she had been running, but she felt some sense of security when she saw the sharp angles and arches of the Academy on the horizon. She began to stumble as she struggled to get through the overgrown trees as she realized she was basically coming in through the back door. The trees reached down with their long branches and grabbed at her long hair, whipping at her bruised face. Finally reaching the cobblestone road leading up to the gate, she inhaled deeply through her nose, and before she collapsed onto the ground, she smiled, recognizing the minty, musty smell she had missed so much._

_ "Zero," she whispered, falling unconscious onto the front steps of her home._

_

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_

**Author's Note:** I kinda winged it with this chapter and I like the way the drama is stirring. We get to see Kaname's manipulative side starting to fail. _Please please please_ **review** and tell me what you think._  
_


	3. Lies

**Quick Note: I don't normally update this frequently, I'm just trying to get this story up and running. Spread the word!**

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Zero jerked away after slipping off his hand that had been his support. He looked around to see nothing had changed except for Yuki's arm was hanging off the side of the bed as if it had just fallen.

_Was I holding her hand? _He thought. Why would he be doing that?

His duty as a vampire hunter and his feelings for Yuki mixed in a wave of confusion that washed over Zero's mind.

"Ermmm," he groaned, putting his face in his hands again, but he did not cry. That had to have been the _weirdest _experience he had ever had. He never remembered crying. He probably did when he was a child, but not even when his parents were killed.

He blinked and thought; _Then again I was too weak to do anything then._

A light moan brought Zero back to the world. He glanced over at the waking girl in the bed and grabbed the sides of the chair. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? Yuki's eyes fluttered open and she looked around. Once her gaze set on him there was silence for a long time.

"You're still here?" she said. "How long have you been sitting there?"

_Of course that is the first thing she would say, _he thought, knowing she didn't mean any offense. In a way, she had not changed a bit, except for the fact she was a freaking vampire. Her long hair looked weird on her. It was not her. I supposed where she used to live it was an elegant touch to her _stature_.

"I haven't been here _that _long," Zero mumbled. Yuki frowned and replied, "Liar. Your hair is getting greasy. It doesn't do that easily. How long have you been here?"

"Shortly after you arrived."

"Well how long has it been?"

There was tension; both of them could feel it. How could there not be?

_This has to be the most awkward situation I've ever been in,_ Zero thought.

"A few days," he said. Yuki put her head back into her pillow and stared up at the ceiling, collecting her thoughts. Zero just watched her. Her various facial expressions changed with each thought.

"What happened to you?" he finally asked. Yuki began to tear up and she covered her face. Everything crashed down on her. Zero took a bold move; he leaned forward and put his hand on one of hers and pulled it away from her face. Yuki froze, her eyes locked on his.

"Yuki," he said. "Please tell me what happened."

She was silent, _again._ Then she sat up in bed and said, "Why aren't you going for your gun? Why aren't you at my throat? You said last time you saw me you would kill me. You didn't at the vampire ball. Why?"

Zero grew impatient.

"I asked my question first."

Yuki crossed her arms and pouted.

"Fine," she snapped. "I was having dinner with Kaname. It was a normal evening. He did seem a bit off…" Yuki realized Zero probably did not want that kind of details. "Anyway, after dinner, he started going on about how our parents were about our age when they started trying to have children. Well not our age, but more physically. I think they were somewhere around a few hundred years—"

"Yuki, you're rambling again."

"Sorry. Anyway, Kaname kept getting closer and closer, and I could tell he was thirsty. But he started luring me into his room. His grip became hungry-like and rushed. I told him I wasn't ready. I told him I didn't want children. I wasn't even ready to…" Yuki saw the pain in Zero's eyes and tried to avoid buzz words. "So, he kept pressing, saying things like it was our obligation, our responsibility. I retaliated with things like there has to be love in it. I could not do it without love. He kissed me and started pulling me in again and I pulled back and told him to stop but…" She started to tear up again. "His eyes grew red; he picked me up, and closed the door. I think he locked it too." Zero winced. "He was gentle in a way, but he still forced me. It was like the night he turned me back into a vampire. After he… after it happened, I went stumbling around the house. It was so huge, and I was so disoriented, I could not find my room until morning. And once I did… the rest is a bit blurry… but…"

She recalled the escape and Kaname's attempt to bring her back. She skipped the part where he had said she was carrying his child. She did not believe it herself. He had to have been bluffing to get her to come back.

Once she had finished she noticed Zero's fingers digging into the chair, causing it to splinter. She lunged forward to grab his hands and said, "Zero stop it. I'm here now. I'm safe. I. Am. Alright."

Zero looked at her for a long time, studying her damaged face. He reached forward and placed his hand on the side of her face. She flinched at first.

"You're lying," he whispered. "You are still in pain. You are so tense, Yuki. You haven't relaxed at all. Not one inch of you. Damn it, I'm going to kill that son of…"

"Zero, please," Yuki interrupted. "Just calm down. I'm too tired to deal with your temper right now." She leaned back into the bed. "Now answer my question. Why haven't you tried to kill me?"

Zero sat back in his chair.

"I don't have my weapon. That's why," he said, getting out of his chair to leave. Just before he walked out the door, Yuki softly said, "That's not why. _You're lying._"

And he was gone.

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Author's Note: Chapter 3, didn't take long. Again I probably won't be updating this frequently. I just want to get this up and running. _Please please please_ **review** and tell me what you think.


	4. Confrontation

_It's just like the last time we parted ways,_ Yuki thought, lying down on her back. She stared at the ceiling for an eternity until the Chairman came in to check on her.

"Yuki," he said, his voice cheery, but somehow…sad. "How are you feeling?"

Yuki shrugged. She looked down at her stomach but then rubbed her legs to cover herself up.

"I was running for a long time," she said. "My legs feel painfully itchy."

"It's because you did not pace yourself. On the inside of your thighs?" She nodded. "Alright then. Just give it a little bit; it will stop hurting."

Yuki looked up and smiled. The Chairman knew that was a fake smile. Her eyes were not in it. He sat on the side of the bed and took her hand.

"You know," he said. "No one comes back here for just any reason. I am still amazed that Zero has remained here. Yes he does the Hunter… _They're _dirty work, but he's not being forced to stay here for the summer or anything. Now… why have _you _come back?"

Yuki stared through the large spectacles and into the Chairman's eyes. She felt herself tear up again and groaned.

"I'm so weak," she said. "I've been crying so frequently. Maybe I am just tired. I was on the move for at least a week."

"Yuki." The Chairman laughed softly. "Why didn't you just take the train?"

"It was too public, and I was in a hurry."

"Why?"

Yuki explained why she left, but again left out what Kaname had said about a baby. The Chairman put a hand to Yuki's forehead. She flinched away.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"My head hurts," she said slowly. "My back hurts a little, but that's probably from running. And…well, hehe, I have to go to the bathroom really bad."

The Chairman laughed and helped her out of bed and led her to the facility. From behind the door the Chairman cleared his throat and knocked.

"Yuki?" he said. "Do you need…um…well…_lady items_?"

Silence.

"Yuki?"

_I hope I will need them, _she thought, but just said, "Nope, thanks Chair- Daddy."

She heard a thump on the other side of the door and a light yelp of joy from the Chairman.

"Alright Yuki, but get right into bed after, and I'll tell the doctor when you are ready."

* * *

Zero sat on the outside of the room, desperate to hit his head against the wall, but then his presence would be detected. The Chairman came out and the doctor went in.

"Come, Zero," said the Chairman. "We need to talk."

Down the hall the Chairman put a cool hand on Zero's shoulder and sighed.

"I know your soul obligation in life is to rid the world of Purebloods, but Zero, Yuki _is _my daughter. I will not allow you to kill her, not while I'm still breathing."

Zero shrugged the Chairman's hand off his shoulder and replied, "Don't worry. My gun isn't going anywhere." He pointed to where it rested in the Chairman's coat pocket. "You can take the one that's under my pillow if you do not trust me."

The Chairman glared at Zero for a short time and said, "Very well. I'll still be keeping an eye on you."

"Kaien," said Zero. "The Yuki who came back; there's something different about her, something familiar, something that makes her seem like the _old _Yuki. Not this blood drinking imitation."

"You do realize she will never be human again."

Zero turned to leave.

"You do realize it do yo…"

"_Yes!"_ Zero cried, slamming the door to the stairway. He shuffled quickly down the stairs and stopped suddenly and sat down. He was shaking violently.

_What is wrong with me, _he thought. Reaching in to his pocket, he pulled out a box and emptied its contents of three blood tablets into his mouth. Chewing then aggressively, he wished he had his gun now. He would find Kuran, wherever he was. He did not care if he was executed for it, he would kill that bastard of a man. A creek of the floor made him whirl around to see Yuki at the top of the stairs, clasping a bag of blood that led through a tube into her arm.

"H-hey," she said softly. "Are you alright?"

"Coming here carrying that is not the best idea right now," Zero replied, clutching his chest. "Three blood tablets are nothing now a day. And they taste like crap."

"And you would know what crap taste like?" Yuki said, smiling – for real. Zero shook his head and chuckled lightly, without smiling.

"You know what I mean."

Yuki swung her left leg around a little and looked at the ground before saying, "Does it hurt too badly, or can I sit with you?"

Without a word, Zero patted the step next to him and Yuki joined him.

"The crap is kicking in," he said. "So what did the doctor say?"

"I've lost a lot of blood and I'm very weak and fragile at this point."

"You've always been weak and fragile."

Yuki glared at him.

"Fine, _weaker _and _more _fragile."

Zero chuckled again. He never looked at Yuki while they sat there. He couldn't help but see her play with her long hair and ball up her fists on her knees awkwardly.

_Just like the old Yuki, _he thought.

"I…" Should he say it? "I missed you…" Too late now.

The air grew still as Yuki stiffened up. She looked over at him, hoping to meet his gaze, but he just stared at the lower stairs.

"Why did you say what you said then?" she said. "Why aren't you _trying _to kill me? You didn't answer me earlier, and now you've had time to think. Why?"

Before she could react, Zero grabbed both of her wrists with one hand and grabbed her throat with the other. She did not scream. There was no determination in his eyes. No anger, malice, revenge, nothing to indicate that he would harm her. Yes, the bruises on her neck did hurt, but they weren't from him.

They were from _him._

"Give me a reason not to," said Zero. "Your _kind _killed my family, and took away everything I held dear."

Yuki gave him a puzzled look and asked, "Took away – what? What are you…"

_Oh yea, _she said. _Me._

"I am seeing a pattern, Zero, between us," she said. Zero loosened his grip on her neck and asked what it was.

"We keep asking each other 'Why'," she continued. "Why did you come back? Why didn't you kill me? Why shouldn't I kill you? And I have another one to add to the collection." Zero tensed up. "Why did you kiss me before we parted ways?"

Zero let go of Yuki completely and backed away to the railing of the stairs. Yuki watched as his pale fingers repeatedly ran through his silver hair and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

_How the hell do I answer that,_ he thought desperately. He glanced up through his hair and saw Yuki's big brown eyes full of want, want for answers, want for – something more.

"The same reason I _almost _kissed you that one time. The time when I woke up from that nightmare. Yuki, you…" _Here goes nothing. _"I was tired."

Literally nothing.

"Stop lying to me, Zero," Yuki said harshly. "You've been doing nothing _but _lying since I got here!"

Zero stood up and Yuki grabbed his shirt, pulling herself up, and keeping him from leaving.

"Stop that too! You cannot just walk away from these things, Zero! I want answers. Stop running. Stop avoiding things! You're being weak and cowardly."

"Oh _I'm_ weak?" Zero wrenched away from Yuki. "Who abandoned the school? Who ran off with the _easy_ man? Tell me, did you receive enough jewelry? Perfumes? How many new friends have you made since you found out you _royal _status? Have you even stopped to think about Yori, the Chairman, me? Don't make excuses. You saw her _once _at the ball, and then you went back to your shallow life of luxury and all sorts of crap like that. Have you touched the Airtimes Rod? No because you don't need to protect yourself anymore. You probably have an entire army outside your bedroom door! So take a look at your life and think again about which one of us is the weak and cowardly one."

His loud outburst echoed through the stairwell. He unclenched his fists, feeling hot blood drip down his fingertips. He cursed and wiped his hands on his black pants. A sudden *sniff* brought his head back down to earth. He looked down at Yuki, who now looked twice as small. She had shrunken back against the other wall away from him, eyes filled with tears. The scent of the Chairman entered the stairwell and both heads snapped up to see him.

"You need to remember to breathe," he said. "I've been here for a while and neither of you smelled me earlier."

Both Zero and Yuki looked down as he made his way down to them and said, "You should get back to bed, Yuki. You need your rest."

Yuki nodded lightly, and slowly made her way up and disappeared into the hallway.

"Maybe you too should be separated for a while," said the Chairman, grabbing Zero's arm a bit more firm than before. "Almost as if you were _children!"_

"Shut up," Zero snapped. "She came crawling back to us and expected what, a parade? A party? No, she had this coming to her."

The Chairman sighed and told Zero to go back to his room and as he returned to the hall, he spotted Yuki backing away from the door.

"I missed you too Zero," she whispered, returning to her room.

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Authors Note: I don't know if Zero was at all OOC. I just imagined him really angry which we rarely see. _Please please please_ **review** and tell me what you think.


	5. Heartbeat

Over the next few days, Yuki recovered, regaining her lost blood, and her bruises healing up. Though everyone was puzzled as to why she did not heal up faster as a pureblood.

Yuki walked around the courtyard, admiring the last of the Headmaster's flowers, which were beginning to wilt in the summer's heat. She smiled down at the walkway that she used to cross over to get to classes, everyday. Now, it was covered with pollen and leaves. The morning light danced across the damp grass along the sides of the walkway, making them shimmer and sparkle. This was home, outside, out in the open.

"Not in a basement," Yuki muttered. She sat down on a nearby bench, trying to collect her thoughts. She wondered why Kaname had turned so—forceful. Looking back, Yuki began to realize he was manipulating everyone, including her, and even he said he would force her to come with him if she had to.

"Oni-sama," she whimpered. "What have you become?"

_He was like that all along, _a voice inside her head said. _You just failed to see it. _Yuki tried to shake the voice from her head but it continued. _Once his con-man skills ran out, he became desperate. And now you're here. You'll never be the same again. You a bloodthirsty monster like the rest of them._

"Stop it," Yuki mumbled. _What did you expect back here? A re-transformation? Like you would become an ignorant human again and go your ways patrolling the grounds with your dear Zero, who now can barely stand the sight of you._

"Shut up."

_Where could he be now? At the stables? His dorm? Anywhere, anywhere but with you. You don't belong anywhere anymore. Not with the vampires, and not even with the humans._

"Leave me alone!" Yuki stood up.

_But you are alone. Forever alone, stuck in a limbo between human and beast. You're one of a kind, Yuki, and that's not a good thing. Who knows? That parasite growing in you now may reject you too._

"STOP!" Yuki screamed shrilly, running away from the bench, leaving nothing but the silent chill of the wind.

Zero stepped out of the shower, drying his ears out with the towel. Before he took another step he took in a sweet scent. Yuki's blood. He sighed frustrated and wondered what she had done this time, but in the back of her mind he thought it might actually be serious, so he pulled on his pants and slipped on a shirt, buttoning it as he walked over to her room. The smell was not strong, but when he heard Yuki's cries and whimpers, he broke into a jog. When he opened the door to her room he was surprised to see Yuki sunk to the ground in the bathroom, next to a pair of scissors, surrounded by long locks of her hair. She clutched her bleeding hand and looked up.

"Yuki, what the hell?"

Zero ran to her side and examined her hand. He began to chuckle a little at her minor injury.

"You of all people would cut yourself on a pair of scissors," he said, reaching for a tissue to clean her wound. When he looked up, Yuki was not laughing, or smiling; she wasn't even scowling at his remark. She was still crying, her eyes wild with fear.

"Z-Zero," she mumbled. "Help me. The voices, they won't go away. They won't go away!"

She was hysterical. Zero placed his hands on each side of her head and had her look at him.

"Yuki, calm down, it's alright. I'm here. Shh, calm down."

Zero did not feel like himself saying these things, but he had only seen Yuki like this once. He had assumed that after she regained her memories, the voices, and visions would have gone away.

"What did they say?" he asked. "What are they saying?"

Yuki trembled violently, the few remaining long locks of her hair vibrating as they dangled onto the floor. Zero tried to hold her shoulders to stop her shaking, but when that did not work, he hesitated, but wrapped his arms around her completely, cradling her head against his heart.

His heartbeat was so soothing. As Yuki listened, she could slowly hear the voices being drowned out by the steady _thump thump…thump thump…_

"They said," she said, her voice less fevered and high pitched. "They said things…similar to what you said on the stairs."

_Damnit,_ Zero thought. _This is my fault._

"Don't blame yourself, Zero. You and _they_ are right. I'm weak, cowardly. I don't fit anywhere. Not with the vampires, not with humans, not with anyone." She became lost in her own words. "I shouldn't have come back, expecting the warmest welcome. I got what was coming. And even the baby will reject me. I missed you so much Zero. I thought about you every day and…"

"Wait." Zero pulled away to look at Yuki. "Say that again."

"I thought about you every day?"

"Before that…"

"I missed you."

"Before."

"And…and even the baby will reject me."

Zero's eyes grew wider and whatever color was in his face drained completely. His eyes flickered down to Yuki's stomach and then back up.

"How?" he stammered. "How can you know? Pregnant? Really?"

Yuki nodded and explained what Kaname had done and said. Zero's grip tightened on Yuki's arms until she gave a small yelp of pain.

"Sorry," he muttered. She shook her head and looked down. As if on cue, she threw her hand over her mouth and lunged for the toilet. Zero rubbed her back until she was finished puking. Yuki rinsed her mouth out in the sink and slid to the floor again. Picking up the scissors, she finished off the rest of her hair, until it looked like how she had it before she became a vampire. Zero felt a spark of emotion as the Yuki he looked at then, looked just like the old Yuki, until she opened her mouth to yawn, revealing her fangs. Zero looked away, sadly and Yuki leaned over to look up at him.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, softly.

"More than my brain can take," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. "So are you sure you're pregnant?"

"We'll find out in a week, at least."

"Why…oh…that time of month?"

"Yes."

Awkward silence.

"So, what if you are?" Zero asked, staring back into her cinnamon colored eyes. Yuki pulled a knee up to her chest and shrugged.

"For any other _normal_ girl," she said. "She could just give the baby up for adoption."

"Or she could…"

"Don't you _even_ dare mentioning that," Yuki said harshly. "I'm not even considering that. Zero, you know how I feel about that."

"I said she," Zero said. "I never said anything about you getting one."

"I know but still." Her jaw tightened. "It's disgusting and cruel to even think about."

"You could have Kaname raise it."

"I'm not going back there. And the baby needs a mother."

"And adoption is out of the question."

She nodded and Zero sighed. They sat there for a long time, not talking, just staring at the floor, occasionally exchanging short glances. All this time, all this tension, built up over time was finally being let out in so many ways. It was not all out yet though.

"Your turn now," said Yuki quietly. "Explain to me why you haven't killed me yet."

Zero groaned and glared at her like he used to when she got on his nerves, but so many things had changed between them. It was like he was talking to someone completely different that he had known for years.

"I can't kill you," he said. "I could never hate you, I could never hurt you. Yuki, even as enemies, you are what keeps me alive. You never gave up on me. Never. Even when I rejected you; you kept pressing on, by my side. And you have no idea how much it pained me to see you in the arms of that Kuran man." Yuki's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Every time he touched you, when he bit you, kissed you." Yuki blushed. "I've wanted to touch you the way he has. To just take you in my arms, the way I sometimes did. I found myself craving your blood just to be in your embrace. It took all of me to not drain you completely just to keep holding you. I'm such a selfish creature. That one time before you left. I couldn't hold back. To kiss you…" He paused for a long time. "It was like the kiss of an angel." He smirked. "It was my first kiss, too."

Yuki blinked a few times. Zero's first kiss? In a way it was not a surprise but he always seemed like someone who could sneak one in somewhere just to say he did and be thought of more as a "man" than anything. She felt emotion well up in her eyelids and once again spill over her cheeks. She reached over and took Zero's face in her hands. She brushed his silver bangs out of the way (which did nothing, since they simply fell back into place).

"All this time," she said, staring into his amethyst eyes. "You were in love with me?"

He nodded subtly and placed a hand over Yuki's and rubbed it against his cheek. The scent made him dizzy and he took a deep breath of it in. Yuki smiled and cocked her head at him.

"I think…"

She never finished. She brought Zero's face down and tilted hers up towards him and kissed him gently. Zero's eyes narrowed into purple slits, staring at what he couldn't believe he was seeing. Yuki had voluntarily kissed him. He began to kiss her back and brought her closer, molding her tiny body to his large frame, entangling his fingers through her hair. He balled his other hand into a fist, holding a bunch of Yuki's shirt and pulled away for a moment to breathe and say, "I love you."

"I know," Yuki whispered. "I love you too."

_I know,_ he thought, pulling her in for the close embrace he had longed for and kissed her again.

* * *

**Author's note:** Yes, my explanation for Yuki's slow healing was that she is pregnant. So sue me. I tried to stay in character this time, but since things have changed between our two lovebirds, I thought I might twist it up a bit. _Pleas please please_ **review** and tell me what you think.


	6. Insight

It was silent for a long time as Yuki and Zero sat on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. They had cleaned up the hair and put away the scissors. Looking at Yuki with a different light in Zero's eyes made him understand her situation a bit more, what she had to go through, the choices she was forced to make. It made him feel like a complete bastard.

_Which I am_, he thought to himself. Without saying anything, he pulled Yuki over into his arms, setting her in his lap. Hugging her tightly, he breathed in her sweet scent and gave a light hum of content.

"What is it, Zero?" Yuki asked. Zero just held her tighter, careful not to hurt her. His view of her was also altered with the possibility that she might be pregnant.

"Why do you love me?" he asked, suddenly. Yuki pulled back and held onto his shoulders as she looked him in the eyes.

"Why do you ask?"

"I can't give you nearly as much as Kuran could. I'm not rich. I'm not _sensative_. I was cold to you for most of the years I knew you. So why?"

Yuki thought for a moment, letting her arms fall into her lap. Zero's heart sank at her action. Her saying she loved him was just a momentary impulse. It was probably hormones which really meant she was pregnant. She probably didn't even-

"Because even if you weren't directly kind to me, I could see that you cared. Behind the scenes, you took care of me and put up with all my childish attitudes. My lack of math knowlage; you stayed up until the sun was up tutoring me. Whenever I cried, whether it was a hand on my shoulder or a full on hug, you always gave me a reasuring touch, which always calmed my histerics."

Zero gave a hint of a smile, which disappeared as soon as it had appeared and he said, "So, you _do_ love me? Or just appreciate me?"

Yuki grew a bit impatient.

"Why don't you believe me Zero?" she said sadly. "I do love you. I guess I just didn't realize it before. You don't give yourself enough credit."

He looked down and ran his fingers through his hair through habit and leaned his head back against the door. He felt Yuki shift and lean onto his chest, taking a handful of his shirt in both fists. Glancing down, he saw Yuki's head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed in what looked like restraint. Her lips were slightly parted, taking in deep breaths, fangs visible.

"Are you thirsty?" Zero asked. Yuki didn't open her eyes. She unclenched her fists, but kept her hands where they were.

"I've been thirsty ever since I left the Academy," she said lately. "Kaname said once...after I had bit myself...he said that only the blood of the one we truely love can quench our thirst. I drank from him many times, but it was never satisfying."

Zero's eyes widened in shock. He stared at the ceiling as she explained everything. On impulse he reached over, as if to embrace Yuki, but instead put his hand on the back of her head and nudged her closer to his throat.

"Try," he whispered. Yuki's breathing grew more ragged. She breathed in deeply, bearing her fangs more, and licked Zero's neck, causing him to breathe in deeply for a moment. She bit down slowly, and Zero flinched for a moment, the feeling reminding him of the night Shizuka Hio had killed his family.

"Don't think about that," Yuki whispered, having taken a small drink of his blood. "Think about something better."

She continued to feed, her mind getting lost in his thoughts.

_How could she love someone like me? Is she really pregnant? Could she change her mind?_

Similar thoughts began to flood into Yuki's mind. She pulled away and licked his wound dry, standing up.

"What?" asked Zero.

"I know I'm ready for us," she said harshly. "But I don't think you are. When you trust my decision and my heart, I'll come back."

She reached for the door handle, expecting Zero to move, but he didn't. He stood up, but grabbed her hand and took it off the handle.

"Don't do this," he said. "Don't walk away again. I don't think I could take you leaving again."

"You keep expecting me too!" she says. "You don't trust my decisions! Why?"

"Because-" he looked down.

"What?"

"Because!"

"Because what?!"

Zero grabbed her shoulders and shook her, "Because you broke my heart last time!"

Yuki recoiled from his outburst. His temper had not changed. And her sensativity had not either. Tears began to pool in her eyes once more and Zero sighed and released her.

"Damn," he whispered. "Yuki, I'm sorry."

She stepped away when he reached for her. Before he could say another word, she pushed him out of the way and ran out of the bathroom. Zero stood there, alone, angry, and sad.

"Damnit," he whispered. "Damnit. Damnit! DAMNIT WHY!?"

He punched the wall as hard as he could and slid to the ground, buring his face in his knees.

* * *

Yuki rushed down the hallway, tears streaming past her. Unfortunately, she became tired out very quickly and had to lean against the hall to rest.

_ I have to find out,_ she said. _I have to know now._

She composed herself and went to her the Chairman's office.

"Yuki," he said cheerfully. "You look like you are feeling better. Is there anything you need?"

Yuki nodded, feeling tears welling up in her eyes again. She groaned and wiped them away.

"What's wrong?" the Chairman asked, moving out from under his desk. He held her in his fathering arms until she had stopped choking on her tears.

"I want to go to the doctor, Chair-Father," she said. The Chairman held her arms and looked down at her.

"For what?" he asked. "We just had a doctor here? Do you think you are sick?" He put a hand to her forehead. She didn't feel warm.

"No not for that." Yuki felt butterflies in her stomach. How could she tell the Chairman this? This was harder than she had anticipated.

"Well why do you want to see a doctor? You feel perfectly normal."

Yuki opened her mouth to speak, but all the moisture had been sucked from her tongue. Words were gone. She stuttered and then just sighed and backed up, placing her hand over her still flat belly and looking up. It took a few seconds for the Chairman to get the message. His eyes grew almost as wide as the spectacles they hid behind.

"You think you're pregnant?" he said, not sure whether to be happy or not. "When did you think this?"

"When Kaname said I was," she said. "When I tried to get away, his hand slipped to my stomach and he said he could feel the child in there. Can purebloods detect things that sensitively? I cannot even tell."

The Chairman thought for a moment. Kaname might possibly be able to detect life in Yuki because of the amplified power he received from Shizuka Hio. He had become one of the most powerful purebloods, next to Rido, who was obviously dead. So could he indeed hold that much power and insight?

"I don't know," he said briefly. "Come, Yuki. We will go have you checked."

Yuki nodded and the Chairman guided her out the door.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ooh cliffhanger :-P I've noticed I have a habit with finishing my chapters with someone leaving. Haha, guess I should break that. _Please please please_ **review** and tell me what you think.


	7. Solitude

**This one we are taking a look at Kaname's POV.**

* * *

Kaname sat at the end of the long dining table, completely alone. He was hunched over with his face in his hands. The house had become so quiet. So unbearably quiet after Yuki had run away.

"Yuki," he mumbled. "I didn't… It was for the best."

_What went on that night?_ He wondered. Had he drank too much? Was he angry? What had brought him to do such a thing?

_The line of purebloods must be preserved. The ability to have children in a pureblood is short lived._

"Which is completely illogical," he muttered into his hands. He ran a swift hand through his hair and sat back.

"Kaname-sama."

Ruka entered the room with grace, her long ash-blonde hair fell to her waist.

"Something is troubling you?" she said, approaching him. Kaname rose from his seat and went to greet her.

"How could there _not_ be something?" he said coolly, closing his eyes. "Yuki is gone. She probably hates me now. Ruka, I know what I did. I just don't know why."

Ruka took Kaname's face in her hands and made him look at her.

"She was never ready," she said. "She was never ready to be a vampire, to be engaged—to bear your child." Kaname's eyes flew open. "So it is true?" she continued sadly. Kaname nodded and said, "It is, Ruka."

Ruka's peach colored eyes seemed to have lost a little bit of their color. Whenever Yuki was mentioned she seemed to lose that little spark that made her the sophisticated, sexy, young woman that she was. Ruka took her hands off of Kaname's face and let them hang limply at her sides. Kaname caught her right hand before it fell to her waist and brought it up to his lips.

"You keep a lot from me now a day's," he said, bearing his fangs. "Do I have to bite you to find out what you are thinking?"

Ruka began to shake and a hint of blush ran across her face. Kaname laughed and continued, "I suppose all I have to do is touch you to know what you are thinking."

Ruka looked away, allowing her silky hair to fall in the way of her face and Kaname's vision. Brushing it back behind Ruka's ears, Kaname made her look at him.

"What happened to us?" he asked. "You used to be the only one who talked to me with no fear in your heart or eyes."

Ruka held his hand to her face and dropped her gaze.

"You have made your choice," she said quietly. "I cannot change that. Especially not _now_. I do not qualify. I am below you, Kanam-sama. I always loved you, you know that, ever since that one night you drank from me. But just that one night." She laughed once. "You were a tease, Kaname-sama. You still are." She backed away. "You don't know how painful it was to see you with Yuki, to be asked to help her with her posture, her table manners. She was always so much better than me. No matter how much more I knew about nobility than her, _she_ was always the better person. The better vampire. The _pureblood." _She practically spat the last word. "She always made me so angry, so jealous."

She began to back away more. Kaname stepped forward and said her name. She raised her hand to stop him.

"And you never cared," she continued. "You never showed any remorse in putting other people in pain as long as you got your way. You used everyone: Ichijo, Aido, Kain, even Shiki and Rima! You used Zero, and me. One way or another we were a part of your grand scheme to revive the Kuran bond."

"Then why don't you just leave then?" Kaname said harshly, but quietly. "Leave like everyone else has. Why, Ruka, why…"

"Because that's the one way I'm not like your _precious Yuki_," she snapped. "I have the stupidity and ignorance to _not _leave! I would leave, Kaname-sama, I would! But…"

Her voice trailed off and she composed herself.

"Goodnight, Kaname-sama," she said, turning to leave. Kaname reached out to stop her, but retracted his arm. Standing there, with his perfect posture, his composed expression, he was perfect. Then why did everyone leave? Why did everyone come to abhor him and abandon him? Even his precious girl.

"Yuki."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Someone said I made Kaname look bad (That's because he is but AnYwAy!) So I made this chapter to get a better look on his reasoning and get a little KanameXRuka action in there :-P *sigh* I'm having fun with this fanfiction... _Please Please Please_ **r****eview** and tell me what you think!


	8. Danger

Zero heard the Headmaster's car return and slowly got up from the bathroom floor to look out the window. Kaien stepped from the driver's seat and went around getting the door for Yuki who had been in the passenger's seat. She looked—neutral. She wasn't crying, screaming, or unconscious. She didn't even look scared. From the high up angle Zero could not see her eyes for her chocolate bangs fell before her downcast face. Something had happened. Where had they gone?

Zero downed six blood tablets and snuck down to the Chairman's office. He knew they had gone in there; the scent was undeniable. However, he could hear nothing, except for the ticking clock that sat on the Chairman's desk. Other than that, complete silence. For then.

"Are you alright Yuki?" said the Chairman. "You haven't said anything since we left the office."

_Did she go to the doctor?_ Zero thought. He pressed his back against the wall and tried to peer through the cracked door. Yuki sat, her back facing him, on one of the couches that decorated the office. When the Chairman spoke she moved her head in a way that Zero was sure neither of them could tell if it was a nod or a shake of the head. He heard the Chairman clap some papers against the desk table to straighten them out and then the screeching of his chair as he stood up. As the man came into view, Zero eased out of sight, but listened intently.

"Yuki," said the Headmaster. "Everything is going to be fine. I know, it is scary right now, but it will work out in the end."

This time, Yuki shook her head. Her quiet high pitched voice traveled easier to Zero's ears as she spoke.

"For every other girl it might," she said softly. "But I'm not like them, Headmaster." Kaien groaned at the lack of 'daddy'. "I was not born into a human family. They do not belong to a long line of royalty. They did not run away from their fiancé. Well I mean, some of them might, but…"

"Yuki." The Chairman held her shoulders gently and stared down at her. "I know, Yuki, I know." He thought for a moment. "Can…you tell me…did Kaname…force you completely, or…did you consent to this?"

Zero wasn't sure if he wanted to hear this. His fingers dug into the walls ever so silently as he braced himself for the answer.

"Well," Yuki started. "'Forced' is a hard word to define." Zero tensed. "He…at first…when he took me into the room… I was kicking and flailing, so that part I supposed I was forced. But when he laid me down… he kept saying things like, 'Don't squirm and it won't hurt.' And 'Please, Yuki, I'm not trying to hurt you,' among other things." There was a long pause and Yuki's voice became choked and broken. "But it hurt. He wasn't gentle. I think he was trying to keep me there without struggling because the way he did… it was like the night he turned me into a vampire." Chairman 'hmmed' in understanding. "How I had tried to stop him? But he placed his hand over my mouth so I wouldn't scream when he bit me. It was almost the same as that but…" Zero fought the urge to clamp his hands over his ears. "I felt like a rag doll when he had laid me down because I didn't know what to do. It was almost like he had given me a split second to run out, but I didn't take it. Maybe I was too scared, or I didn't want to run…"

* * *

Yuki whipped around when she heard a hard thud against the wall and then swift padded footsteps down the hall. Her dead eyes suddenly grew alive with shock.

"He was there," she whimpered. "He could have heard everything!"

"I don't think it was 'everything' he didn't want to hear."

Yuki held her stomach and leaned over to her knees.

"I'm almost seventeen," she cried. "I shouldn't be having a baby! What was Kaname thinking!?"

The Chairman sat down next to Yuki and rubbed her back as she cried.

"As crazy as this sounds," he said. "He was thinking rationally." Yuki's head snapped up. "Well, his ideals at least. What he did was unacceptable. Yuki, although a pureblood can live forever, there is only a very small window in which they can reproduce. Kaname saw that window and took advantage of it. I have to admit, I am still very partial to you running off with your brother in that way." He pushed up his glasses. "But I know his thinking in that as well: Keeping the pureblood line going. He also took advantage of that as well. Now I'm not saying any of this is justified as good or right, but that is how Kaname thinks. I've been around him more, believe it or not, and I have seen how your brother tackles a situation. His strategies are not that in which you would expect."

Yuki nodded and sat up.

"I understand," she said quietly. She stopped crying again and leaned her head back against the couch as she continued, "I wish I was human again."

She thanked the Chairman for the past few hours and then left. She was on another hunt again. Zero could not have gone far. She followed his quickly fading scent.

_He just had to run_, she thought, trying to catch his smell again. It led off campus, down the street and into town. Yuki assumed he had gone somewhere to eat maybe. The only time he seemed the least bit social was with the cook.

Unfortunately, the town held many other scents that nearly gave Yuki a headache from trying to concentrate on one. She followed where she thought the smell had gone. Although her nose was working hard, she seemed to ignore her eyes, telling her which way she was going. She stopped when she stubbed her toe on a stray trash can.

"Ow!" she snapped, kicking the can (no pun intended). "Stupid—"

All of a sudden, she reached down for her Artemis scythe, but then panicked, remembering she had left it in the Chairman's room. She stood her ground as the putrid scent of a Level E vampire made its way, consuming the alleyway.

"Hello, there," said the Level E. "What are you doing so far from everyone else, love?"

"Don't come any closer!" Yuki cried, hoping someone might hear her. Almost instantaneously, the Level E swiftly moved to Yuki's side then, as gently as a butterfly, placed his hand at her neck, and then smashed her back into the brick wall that surrounded them.

"Don't scream," he whispered, pushing back a lock of Yuki's hair. "I'll be gentle. It won't hurt if you don't squirm."

Yuki gave a short squeal at his words, and tears began to pour from her eyes. Unpleasant memories and fear mixed together into sheer horror as the Leven E licked her neck.

"It will all be over soon, my dear," it said, opening its mouth wide.

"Zero, I love—"

A clear gunshot pierced the silence and the Level E screamed, falling to the ground, clutching his leg. Yuki scrambled away, unharmed, but scared to death. Zero stood in the alley, smoke trailing from his gun. When he went and stood over the wounded vampire, it lunged at him, knocking them both to the ground in a brawl. Zero's gun was still connected to his chain, but it was also out of reach as the Level E clawed at his face and neck.

"I'm thirsty!" it cried. "So thirsty! You ruined my dinner!"

Zero shoved the Level E off him, lunged for the gun and shot the screaming vampire point blank in the forehead. He was gone.

"And you ruined mine," said Zero, dully. He tucked the Bloody Rose back into his coat pocket and turned towards the cowering Yuki.

"You've got to stop walking into deserted alleys," he said, picking her up and placing her on her feet. "One day I may not be there to save you."

Yuki's expression suddenly grew angry and she pushed him.

"Save me?" she said harshly. "Save me! Where were you earlier when Kaname…where…_where were you_?!"

She pounded on Zero's chest furiously yelling things like, "You weren't there!" and "No one was there!" and "Why, why, _why_?!"

She continued to hit him, grunting and screaming. Zero didn't even flinch. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Yuki, who kept hitting him. He held her even tighter and her strikes began to slow. Her voice began to crack and break. She stopped hitting Zero altogether and buried her face into his chest, sobbing loudly. She didn't moan or scream; only her breaths were loud and high pitched. Zero looked down and stroked the back of Yuki's head.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," he said softly. "I probably would have killed him, so maybe you…" He stopped. Saying she probably wouldn't have wanted them there would not end well.

Yuki nodded against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I am pregnant," she said suddenly. "Headmaster and I went to the doctor."

His worst fear was finally confirmed. Anger boiled at his throat but he fought it back to keep Yuki calm.

"I have no idea what to do," she said. "I'm so scared. I'm completely alone. I can't give a pureblood baby up for adoption, and I have no idea how to raise a child. Kaname will have to pry the baby from my cold dead fingers to get them."

Zero shivered, and then winced. Yuki gasped as she saw a scrape across Zero's neck, blood slowly trickling out. She stood up on her tip-toes and licked it off before it reached his shirt. Before she knew it, she had drunk from him once more. She pulled away and smiled at him.

"What?" Zero asked, starting to get annoyed by Yuki's mood swings.

"You changed your mind?" she said. "You really believe that I love you?"

He was sure that she _did_ love him, he just wasn't sure of what way, so he simply nodded and said, "Yes."

Yuki jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Zero didn't hesitate to hold her there when she kissed him. He wove his fingers into her hair and encircled her waist with his other arm. This kiss was needier, hungrier. It had a different flame that the other did not. They were too far back for anyone to see them. That was probably why Yuki didn't hesitate to wrap her legs around Zero's waist to keep herself up. She hated being so much shorter than him.

_But, I'll find a way, damn it,_ she said, kissing Zero harder. _I'll find a way for everything._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:** Ok I realize she gets attacked a lot. Whatever. But anyway. I wanted to clear some things up about Kaname's behavior. So I had the Chairman explain that a little. The way I see Kaname he is one of those people who gets everything they want, but they work for it themselves, so their very determined, and sometimes that might get to their heads so that's how I was trying to get across. Sorry if Kaname's been OOC lately.

**Please Review** and tell me what you think!


	9. Tears

The summer nights were humid and warm. Zero did not give a rat's ass about the weather. He sat on one of the Academy's roofs, his legs dangling over the edge. Yuki had been fast asleep for hours which gave Zero time to think.

_So she's having Kaname's baby_, he thought, and then blinked. _Did she let him, or didn't she?_

The sudden reality hit him harder than the Level E's tackle had. It was _Kaname's _child. The spawn of the bastard himself. He swore as he realized he had pierced his own palm with his fingernails and licked them until they healed. The sky was completely dark. The stars and even the moon were covered by a thick layer of clouds. But even in the dark, Zero could see someone coming up the walkway to the school. Jumping down from the roof, Zero halted the cloaked figure and demanded who they were.

"Point that gun somewhere else, Kiryu."

Zero lowered the barrel as Ruka removed the hood from over her head. She placed a hand on her chest and bowed briefly before speaking.

"I cannot stay long. So is it true?" she asked. "About Yuki carrying Kaname's child?"

Zero tensed up and through clenched teeth replied, "Yes."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"How long do you think Kaname-sama will wait before he comes to claim his child and bride?" Her bright eyes seemed to flash as she spoke. "Honestly, Yuki might want to go back. Ever think about that? Seeing as what I heard about her letting Kaname-sama…"

"Shut up," Zero snapped, clutching at Ruka's throat. She remained unusually calm, despite the fact she was losing air.

"Let go, Zero, I have more to say," she gasped. For a moment, Zero did not respond, but slowly, he released his grip. Ruka rubbed her neck and said, "You should be thankful I did not turn your own hands on yourself."

"Don't give me any of that noble vampire crap, Ruka. I am not interested. What did you want to say?"

Ruka looked around wildly and then leaned forward, grabbing the front of Zero's shirt and pulling him close as she whispered, "You have to get out of here now. Kaname-sama will not hesitate to kill you to get to Yuki and the baby…especially the baby."

"So keeping his precious royal family is all that matters to him?" Zero hissed, yanking his shirt from Ruka's grip. "Does he even love Yuki?"

Ruka thought for a moment then replied, "Yes…in the way he _understands_ love."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Listen to me. He is a leader. When he has something set in mind he will not let go until it is achieved. Even if he has to con children to get to it. Just look at how he changed Yuki back into a pureblood."

Zero's anger continued to build up. His finger trembled on the trigger of the Bloody Rose, but he knew Ruka was not to blame for any of this. He avoided her gaze and said, "So what do you propose besides running like a coward?"

Ruka groaned and grabbed Zero's arm.

"Are you stupid?" she said sharply. "Or can you not hear me? Get out now. Kaname-sama will look here first."

"Let him come!" Zero snapped. "I'll be looking forward to seeing him…down the barrel of my gun!"

"God, Zero you're so selfish! Think of someone besides yourself for once, Zero!"

"I have been!" His voice was at a yell by now. "I have been sacrificing _everything_ for the past years for Yuki, protecting her, comforting her. What has Kuran been doing? Visiting us every week or so as we were children. They danced and Yuki practically swooned over that bastard. I saw through it though. I knew he was trouble. My only mistake was letting Yuki go with him in the first place. None of this would have happened if I had thought about myself for once in my lifetime! How's that for selfish?"

Ruka recoiled and let go of Zero, who by now was trembling all over. His breath had grown ragged and Ruka kept her eyes on his hand that held the Bloody Rose so tightly his knuckles were even whiter than before. Both of them whirled around when they heard a twig snap.

"That gun isn't going to do anything, Kiryu-kun."

Zero lowered the Bloody rose to the sound of the Chairman's voice. He emerged from the gate and stood between the two vampires.

"I'm surprised Yuki hasn't woken up already, Zero, with all your yelling. And it is very nice to see you again, Ruka-chan."

Ruka bowed again and flipped her hair to the side. Zero rolled his eyes at her vanity.

"So what is all this about?" the Headmaster asked. All was silent for a moment until Ruka spoke.

"We all know Yuki is pregnant with Kaname's child," she said softly. "More importantly, Kaname knows. He will come after you. If he has to kill to get to Yuki and the baby, he will. Right now that child is more valuable than anything to him."

"What about Yuki?" the Chairman asked. Zero added in a mumble, "That is what _I_ asked."

Ruka glared at Zero but then turned back to the Chairman and continued, "Yuki is carrying the child, so obviously she is important. However, I have seen Kaname. He is focused on keeping the pureblood line preserved, specifically the Kuran line."

"And you said _I _was selfish," Zero mumbled.

"Will you just shut up already!?" Ruka cried loudly. Her shrill voice drove an owl out of a nearby tree, hooting until he was out of sight. The Chairman kept the two at arm's length and said, "Now you two just calm down. I'm sure we can think of a solution for this."

"There is no solution," said Ruka. "Run or die. That is it."

"Why should we run our whole lives just for some pureblood mass of spit bubbles?" Zero spat.

"I'm assuming you don't like children," Ruka said sarcastically. Zero growled and took a step forward. The Headmaster pushed him back and said, "Just go back to bed, Zero. I will talk to her."

* * *

Zero wrenched himself away and stormed back through the gates. He finally tucked the gun back into his jacket pocket and continued to mumble curses and other rude words about vampires, specifically Ruka and Kaname.

"What a lovely couple they would make," he grumbled, kicking up a loose cobblestone.

"Who would make a lovely couple?"

Zero stopped in his tracks and looked around, trying to see Yuki.

"Where are you?" he called out. Yuki stepped out from behind a tree, still in her light green nightgown.

"Nothing," Zero mumbled, walking away. He heard her follow him and groaned as she grabbed at his jacket.

"Zero talk to me," she whimpered. "What was that all about?"

"How much did you hear?"

Yuki let go.

"Everything."

"Then tell me this..."

Yuki huffed as Zero pressed her up against the wall of the building a little harder than she would have wanted.

"Zero!" she cried in surprise. Her gaze was locked in his amethyst eyes as he glared at her with what she saw as anger.

"Did you…" Zero stumbled over his words. "Did Kaname…did you… Did you let him…"

"What?" she demanded.

"God, Yuki." He clenched her shoulders, his cheeks turning red as he spoke. "Yuki did you let him…ugh…did you let him do you?!"

Yuki suddenly felt very awkward and nervous. Zero had never come out and said something like that. The silence was excruciatingly awkward as Zero continued to stare. She opened her mouth to reply, but words just would not come out. She was not sure if she knew herself at all. She looked down and felt Zero's grip on her shoulders loosen. When she looked back up his eyes had turned glassy and shaky.

"Zero?" she said softly. She felt his weight pull her down to the ground as he slid down onto his knees. His head dipped low and he hid his face from her. When Yuki tried to hold his head, he jerked away and continued to look away. Yuki adjusted her position to where she could lean under him and see his face. Before she moved to look at him, the sight of a splatter drew her back on the ground. She saw another one.

Tears?

"Zero are you…"

"No," he snapped, nonchalantly running his hand over his face then through his hair. Yuki slowly reached forward and held his arms. At first he flinched, but relaxed again as Yuki brought him towards her, cradling the back of his head in one hand and his neck in the other.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I've caused you so much pain. All you have done is take care of me. I am sorry that I ran away from you. I'm sorry that I was stupid enough not to see how much you cared."

She did not shed a single tear. She was not going to cry now. Not now. She was not the victim in this situation. She simply rested Zero's head on her shoulder and rubbed his back as he continued to cling to her shoulders. He began to shake like a child and Yuki felt the sleeve of her nightgown grow damp. She felt like crying along with him, but somehow she was too surprised to do anything but hold him. He was so much bigger, stronger, and tougher than she was. To see him like this, vulnerable; it was as if he was a completely different person. She had never seen him cry, not once, not even the day the Chairman brought him home from the massacre of his family.

_I guess of all those years resisting an emotional breakdown got the best of him now,_ she thought, running her fingers through Zero's hair. This seemed to calm him down. He was like a very large child in her arms.

"I'm sorry," Yuki whispered again. Zero finally looked up; his eyes looked foreign because of the redness. He wiped his eyes and just stared at Yuki.

"Are you sorry?" he asked softly. Yuki nodded slowly. Zero leaned in, licked her neck and said, "Let me see."

* * *

Zero felt Yuki tense up and say, "Ok."

When he bit down on her neck, the taste immediately shocked him. He was not used to how sweet a pureblood vampire's blood would be, plus the fact it was Yuki's blood. He placed his lips over the holes and drunk cautiously, hoping her blood loss would not affect the baby. Yuki's thoughts flooded into Zero's mouth and mind.

_Where are we…What the hell is going on…You said you only meant well._

_I want Zero, and I need him._

_But I've acted like he's not there._

_Did I want what Kaname did I?_

_ Did I fight back as much as I could have?_

_Were my attempts to scream from fear or pleasure?_

Zero could not listen anymore. He pulled away in abhor and without a word, stood up and walked away, not stopping even when Yuki called his name.

_She lied, _he thought. _She lied. She lied. She is not sorry._

"Zero!" Yuki called once more.

Zero whirled around and yelled back, "Just go back to him already! Go back to the man you so frequently continue to think about more than me! I swear when Kuran comes, I'm letting him have you!"

Yuki stood up, reaching out for him.

"Zero," she said, eyes full of tears. "Please don't tell me you mean that."

"I do!"

"But I love—"

"No you don't!"

Yuki recoiled and placed her hand at her mouth to stifle a loud sob. She stepped back, shook her head, and ran around the corner and out of sight. Zero did not give it much mind. His eyes stung with the still unfamiliar feeling of tears, but he soon wiped them away. He opened the first door that led to the dorm room and then slammed it as hard as he could.

And then he heard Yuki scream.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Mwahaha another cliffhanger. I took somethings from other sources for the purpose of this chapter. When Ruka says, "In the way he understands love." was based off of the movie The Duchess. When Zero drinks Yuki's blood and hears her thoughts, the first line is based off of Imogen Heaps song "Hide and Seek" and the third line is based off of Fireflight's song "The Hunger". Other than that, I just don't own Vampire knight period, only the fanfiction :-P

**Please Comment and tell me watcha think.**


	10. Stolen

Zero ran faster than he thought his legs could have ever carried him. Yuki continued to scream and cried out, "_Let go!_"

Zero skidded around the corner to see the Chairman and Ruka already there. Yuki was high up in a tree, caught in the spidery clutches of two vampires none of them recognized. She thrashed and squirmed, trying to free herself, but one vampire clamped his hand on her throat, cutting off her air supply.

"Unhand my daughter!" the Chairman cried. He then turned to Zero and said, "Zero shoot them!"

Ruka instinctively grabbed Zero's arm and hissed, "No. You might hit Yuki!"

A look of shame quickly came and went across the Chairman's face and he turned back up into the tangling branches of the tree.

"Who sent you?" he demanded. The one vampire with black hair and elongated limbs leaned forward and bared his fangs, hissing violently, "Does it matter who sent us? Move and we will show no mercy."

The other vampire with extremely long fingernails placed her hand on the side of Yuki's neck, smiling hysterically.

"Wouldn't want to ruin such a perfect face, now would we, dearies," she said, her voice clearly indicating she was a level E.

_So I am not the only one who has been tamed,_ Zero thought angrily.

Ruka's eyes flashed as she tried to manipulate the minds of Yuki's captor's. But she struggled. Their minds were powerful and the only visible change was that the tall vampire released his grip on Yuki's throat. She gasped and coughed. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Help me," she whimpered quietly. Her gaze was locked with Zero's. Zero's face twitched, not sure whether to let go of his conflicting thoughts about his recent "discovery" of Yuki's feelings. Yuki squirmed in the skinny but strong arms of the dominant vampire held her fast. Silver tears trickled out of her big frightened eyes. Zero stood, helpless to do anything.

"Who sent you?" the Chairman demanded louder than before. The level E cackled and stared down at them with her wild sickly eyes.

"Well you do know them," she said, her tongue flickering like a snake. "Have fun guessing, my dearies. You shouldn't have made so many enemies!"

With one swift motion, the dominant vampire ran his long hand across Yuki's stomach. Yuki lurched and went limp, her head falling back. Zero could clearly see the pain disappearing from her face as she slipped from consciousness.

"No!" he cried. He pulled out his gun, but before he could even point it at the demonic couple, they disappeared in a flurry of pink bats, and the scent of dead roses lingered in the air. The Chairman lunged for the tree, as if that would have done any good. He cried out for Yuki then fell to his knees and pounded on the trunk.

"Ruka-" Zero started but she cut him off.

"I have no idea who they are. Kaname wouldn't do something that…that forceful."

_I can think of a few things_, Zero thought.

"And Rido is dead..." Ruka snapped her fingers multiple times. "Who the hell would want Yuki? And why?"

"Hmm let's think," Zero said sarcastically. "The highest pureblood family is getting another bouncing bundle of _joy_. I wonder if that might be it."

"Zero, _and_ Ruka, both of you stop it!" the Headmaster commanded. "We have to figure out where they took her, who they were working for, and _why_." He glared at Zero who shut his mouth again.

* * *

Yuki awoke slowly. Her stomach hurt ferociously, and her tongue felt like sandpaper.

"The little spawn inside you will be fine," said a harsh voice from the shadows. It was clearly the Level E that took her. Yuki slowly sat up, dizzy and confused. She felt the wood beneath her squeak and she saw that she was in a tiny prison cell with the bed she sat up on, an old sink, and a toilet. No window, no light, except for the dim candles that lit the hallway outside the prison bars.

"Where am I?" she said quietly. "What's going on?"

The Level E cackled again which sent chills down Yuki's spine. She emerged from the shadows and lounged against the bars. There was blood on her fingers which she proceeded to lick off and flicked a drop at Yuki. It landed on her bare feet and she wiped it off with the bottom of her nightgown.

"My deary," the Level E hissed. "You wouldn't know where you are even if I told you! But you don't need to worry. You won't be leaving here for a long time."

A surge of courage swelled up in Yuki's throat which escaped when she showed her fangs and hissed at the Level E. The other vampire who had taken her showed up and dismissed the Level E, who stuck her middle finger up at Yuki and left. Yuki stood her ground and stared up at the long limbed vampire.

"And I thought you were supposed to be some proper princess," he said, laughing. "I guess your days as a guardian are coming back."

_Ok, he knows that much_, Yuki thought. _Who knows this about me?_

"Oh don't bother trying to decode who wants you darling." Yuki jumped. "Yes I can read your mind you silly girl. Anyway, don't bother. You'll meet the master soon. Or shall I say, Mistress."

Yuki glared at Long Limbs and stepped back a bit.

"Who is _she_," Yuki demanded. "If she is so powerful, why is she so intent on avoiding her _prisoner_?" She spat out the last word.

"I'm not avoiding you."

Yuki froze as she heard a soft voice that she recognized. It was high pitched, and reminded her of a music box, playing and eerie and haunting tune. She looked up to see who danced down the spiral stairs in to the corridor. Faint purple hair flowed down to her waist and her bangs rolled up on the side of her head. Her eyes matched her hair as her long black eyelashes blinked seductively, despite her size. Yuki clenched her fists and mumbled, "Maria Kurenai."

Maria laughed lightly and plopped down at the base of the stairs, rested her chin in her hands, and shook her head.

"Guess again my darling," she said politely. Yuki stared deep at her, then gasped as Maria's eyes flashed to a light peach color.

"N-no," Yuki stuttered. "No no it can't be."

She swallowed hard.

"Hio Shizuka!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whoohoo! My first chapter with TWO digits! (I'm such a dork) But yea, sorry this one took a bit longer to publish. School and big project I'm working on. I decided to add a huge twist to this. (Believe it or not, Hio Shizuka was a last minute thing I thought would make a good addition.) But wait, isn't she dead? You'll find out in the next chapter!

_Please_ **review** and tell me what you think.


	11. Two Loves

"We have to go out. We have to find her!"

Zero pounded against the Chairman's office desk in frustration as Kaien leaned his face into his hands with grief.

"It is not that easy Zero," he said softly. "We have no idea where they took her."

Zero pushed off the desk and turned his back to the Headmaster. Anger boiled up more than ever. Just as soon as Yuki had returned, she was gone just like that. In addition, the last thing he said to her. Those cruel words.

_I swear when Kuran comes, I am letting him have you._

It was not Kuran who came, but nonetheless.

"I'm going," said Zero lowly as he headed for the door.

"Going where?" the Chairman asked, standing up.

"To look for Yuki."

He stormed out of the office and headed down the road of the Academy. Then he abruptly stopped.

_Who is here now_, Zero thought as a dark figure stood in the dim morning light.

"Who are you?" Zero cried out. "Show yourself!"

He pulled out his gun but before he was able to raise it, the figure charged forward and grabbed Zero's wrists, slamming both of them into the walls of the school. Once Zero's head stopped spinning, he looked up to see Kaname pinning him to the wall.

"Where is she?" he demanded. An unfamiliar expression of sheer fury flew across his face. Zero kneed Kaname in the stomach and flipped them around, flinging the him into the broken wall. Zero stepped back and pointed his gun at Kaname's head as he said, "That rules you out, but you could be lying."

"What are you talking about Kiryu?"

"You didn't send those two goons to steal Yuki away?"

"You have to be mad. If I had stolen her away, why would I be here?"

Zero cocked his gun.

"To make sure I don't come back for her myself."

Kaname rose up from the wall and approached Zero.

"Don't move," Zero demanded. "I'll shoot."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Kaname said sharply. "Not yet."

Kaname swiftly moved around to the side of Zero, swiped the gun from his hand, and held his hands behind his back.

"Bastard," Zero muttered, struggling against Kaname's arms. Kaname gripped him tighter and then clamped his hand down roughly on his face.

"What the hell are you-"

"Silence," Kaname said. "Don't move, Kiryu, or I'll rip out your heart."

Zero did not doubt that. He had done it once to Shizuka Hio, and he would do it again. Zero stiffened as Kaname felt around his face. He then clenched his neck, cutting off his air supply.

"You beast," he said angrily. "How dare you touch Yuki like that?"

"How-"

"I can tell you've kissed her, simply by feeling the contours of your filthy Level E face."

Zero then wrenched himself from Kaname's grip, whirled around, and shot his gun where he thought Kaname was, but the pureblood had moved long before.

"Yuki ran from _you_!" Zero cried, whirling around, searching for Kaname in the dim light. "She fled from you because of _you!_ Because of what you did to her. You call me a filthy beast. Then you give a new meaning to the phrase, 'Takes one to know one.'"

Zero felt a sharp pain in his back as Kaname's fist collided with his spine. Zero fell forward onto his knees, gasping for breath as Kaname walked around and knelt down to his level, gripping the collar of his shirt.

"Is that what she told you?" he said slowly. "What I did _to _her?" He chuckled lightly. "Why should you believe someone who left you all this time, wasted and heartbroken, like the abandoned _mutt_ you are?"

Zero glared up at Kaname through his silver bangs. He felt warmth trickling down his back and knew he was bleeding, but how much, he was not sure. Kaname gripped Zero's shirt tighter, pulling him up.

"How do you know," he whispered into Zero's ear, "it was 'what I did _with_ her?'"

Zero lost control and lunged at Kaname. His fist caught the side of Kaname's head, sending him back. Kaname then returned by thrusting his hand out, forcing Zero into the air, flying back at incredible speed, right back into the wall of the Academy. Zero gasped as the breath was knocked right out of him. He clenched his chest, head bowed, he did not even hear Kaname coming as he knelt at his side once more.

"You don't know a thing, Kiryu-Zero." Kaname stood up, his coat billowing in the wind. "You don't even know if dear Yuki had any care for you at all. For all you know, I could have been leading her along, to keep you protecting her. Your adolescent feelings for her have blinded you to any light. These hundred years as a pureblood have given me a greater advantage over your puny seventeen years, and you are just _this _close to a Level E. You never had a chance with my dear girl anyway. Save yourself some pain and do not bother looking for her. You will just end up getting yourself killed or heartbroken again."

Zero wrapped his arms around his torso, shaking in fury, spite, and sheer agony from Kaname's words. He did not even realize when Kaname left. He just sat against the wall, blood trickling around him. The will to live had been sucked out of him completely. He slid down and collapsed on his side, arms still wrapped around him. He fell asleep, mumbling to himself.

"Yuki."

* * *

Ruka stepped from the shadows in Kaname's way as soon as he had walked a good distance from the Academy.

"Ruka," Kaname said, a bit surprised. "What is it?"

Tears welled up in Ruka's eyes as she stared up at the one man she had devoted her life to, even when he had paid her little heed. Now she looked at him with sadness, but there was also anger behind her eyes.

"Ruka."

Kaname reached forward to stroke her hair, but she flinched away and stepped back.

"Tell me," she said, "Was there ever a time, even if it was for a instance, that you loved me as you did…"

Her voice trailed off as she thought twice about her words. Did she _want_ Kaname to love her the way he loved Yuki? The way he treated her; yes he took good care of her, but Ruka could clearly see Yuki was never happy, attending the balls, learning etiquette and being shut away like a porcelain doll.

"Rethinking your statement, dear Ruka?" Kaname said, interrupting her thoughts. "You would probably make a better Kuran princess than Yuki, to be honest."

This statement caught Ruka off guard. She? A Kuran princess? The thought brought blush to her cheeks. She loved Kaname but she never imagined actually being with him forever. Before she could react, Kaname gently placed his hand on her cheek.

"For someone with such a stolid disposition, I can read you like a book," he says softly. "Go home, Ruka. You are blinded by your love for me and you do not even see me the way everyone else does."

Ruka grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

"I see you the way I do because I know how you think, I know the way you feel. I could say the same thing about _your _disposition, Kaname-sama. You seem like a statue to everyone else. However, through you eyes, I can see everything. Everything, except how you feel for me." She thought for a moment, and then stood back away from him. "Forget about my question. Go find Yuki, and be happy with her and your new family. If I find anything on her, I will inform you immediately." She breathed in deeply. "I also want to say that what you did and said to Zero was completely heartless and cruel."

Kaname was taken aback by her bold words. His eyes widened at her. Her eyebrows scrunched together as if in anger, but her eyes showed pain and resolve. Her hands were clenched at her sides, and she did not even bother to straighten the stray hairs that flew in front of her face that blew in the slight breeze. A single tear trickled down her cheek, the blush slowly fading away.

"But you know I my feelings for you will never cease," she said softly, almost at a whisper as she bowed. "Farewell, Kaname-sama."

Just as he had done in the dining hall of his home, Kaname reached out for her, but she was already gone, vanished into the morning light as the sun began to peak over the twisted treetops. Kaname clenched his outstretched hand and brought it to his chest, bowing his head. He searched through his thoughts and memories for a time that he might have loved Ruka as he did Yuki. However, he could not find one single instance. Yes, he loved Ruka, but not in the way he loved Yuki. For the first time he was unsure of the type of love he had for either girl.

_Yuki or Ruka, _Kaname thought as he continued to walk away from the Academy, searching for a scent or trail that would lead him to the one girl for whom he was searching.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Like it or hate it? I know I haven't updated in a while but I've been UBER busy with school. So review and let me know what you thought! Love you guys! Thanks for reading!


	12. Investigate

Yuki lay in a crumpled heap in the far corner of her cell, curled up with her knees tucked at her forehead, and her arms wrapped around her stomach. She was weak. So weak. She longed for blood, but not for her. If she hadn't been eating drinking and living for two she wouldn't have cared if she thirsted in this cell.

"Goodmorning deary," said the level E, leaning against the bars of Yuki's cell. "Did you sleep well?"

Yuki didn't look up, nor did she move at all. Maybe if she remained still, she would go away. But she didn't. In fact, more company came.

"Oh darling Yuki, you look terrible," said Shizuka; Yuki cringed, still not used to hearing Shizuka speak in Marie's voice. "Tora, unlock this cell."

Shizuka danced in, her silver hair falling in waves behind her. She knelt down at Yuki's side and placed two fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face up.

"This sort of environment isn't good for you dear," said Shizuka sweetly. "Come out and I'll give you a better room to stay in."

"What's the catch?" Yuki asked weakly. "The corpse of Kaname? My blood?"

Shizuka laughed and pulled Yuki to her feet.

"If I wanted Kaname I could have killed him by now," she said. "If I wanted your blood it would not be that hard to take it."

Shizuka held onto Yuki as her other hand roamed to her stomach. The slightest bump appeared from Yuki's belly.

"So small," said Shizuka softly. "But so full of life. The next heir to the Kuran bloodline."

Yuki whimpered weakly, trying to wrench away from Shizuka's grip. But she held on tighter and closed her eyes, tilting her head up as if in enraptured.

"Mmmm." She smiled. "I see. " She looked at Yuki. "Do you know the extent of a pureblood's powers, Yuki?"

She shook her head, her mahogany eyes trembling.

"Limitless," Shizuka whispered. "For example, I can tell your baby is perfectly healthy. I can even see what he will look like once born."

Yuki froze and stiffened under her captor's grip.

"H-he?" she stuttered. "What do you mean he?"

Shizuka laughed and replied, "I mean, not she, dear Yuki. What else?"

Yuki trembled again and looked down to her stomach.

_It's a boy,_ she thought. _But how can she know?_

"How could I not tell?" she asked.

"When you have lived as long as I have and have escaped death as many times as I have, you'll begin to attain these abilities. What could Kaname do? Determine you were pregnant? Any human doctor could have said that. But I can see everything. Though your precious fiancé has my old powers, I have gained more than he could possibly imagine." She smiled again. "And with what you carry under your precious heart right now, is my ticket to ultimate power."

Yuki let out a tiny squeal and tried to back away. She ended up falling into a sitting position onto her chamber bed, staring up at Shizuka.

"You can't," she said quietly. "I won't let you!"

"Well of course I can't. The baby is not even born yet. Though completely alive and pulsing with life, he has not reached his full potential to power. At the time a pureblood baby is born it is like a snake. They are even more venomous than an adult. A pureblood baby has more power in its little finger than any adult ever could. That is why all those _bad_ people wanted to come after you, Yuki. That is why your mother concealed your identity and memories into a human girl."

This couldn't be happening. Was Yuki simply an incubator for power? She shook violently and began to cry hysterically. She was so tired she couldn't control her emotions. Shizuka rolled her eyes and told her that when she was ready to grow up, she would be provided with decent living quarters. And then the woman left, leaving Yuki to cry in fear and agony. She would have to endure so much, just to watch her baby be killed under this mad woman's will. She wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't!

Yuki clutched the side of her bed and groaned in frustration. What could she do? There was no way of escape. Someone _had _to be looking for her.

"Zero!" she cried, bowing her head. "Zero, help me. Please. Someone…"

* * *

Zero rose from the ground, a new anger burning in him. Someone out there had Yuki, and when he found them... if they had hurt her at all.

"I'll kill them," he muttered. He tucked the Bloody Rose back into his coat and straightened himself out, only to double over in pain from his back. He would have to go back to the Headmaster for help. This would be humbling.

* * *

Back in his office, the Chairman bandaged Zero's back.

"So, Kaname just came and went," he said. "Wonder why."

"Because he realized Yuki wasn't here, took his anger out on me, then left."

The Headmaster hummed in thought.

"This is a nasty injury," he said. "What could have made him so angry?"

Zero didn't respond. The Chairman leaned over to look him in the eye.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Kiryu-kun?" he asked. "Is there something I should know?"

Zero averted his gaze and scowled. How could Kaien be so decisive with a few words? In one moment he could be all motherly and (most likely) gay-like, and then with one sentence, he would turn onto you like a professional interrogator.

"Zero, tell me," he repeated. Zero leaned forward, ignoring the pain in his back as he relayed to the Headmaster all that had happened between him and Yuki, everything since her return; her hair, the kiss, the fights. The Chairman listened quietly, almost as if he knew this already.

"I see," he said quietly. "I realized the kind of feelings you had for her since you came to live with us. I also never realized it would take so long for you to get them out. But then again, you weren't ever one to make the first move."

Zero rolled his eyes as he continued.

"I even thought." Kaien paused. "I even thought that if Yuki had lost interest in Kaname, or something interfered with his plan, you two would always end up together." Zero's head snapped up. "Why does this surprise you, Zero? You two have spent your life together for over four years. It's almost like it should have been anyway, but she was engaged to Kaname as soon as she was born. There's no doubt about that."

Zero clenched his fist. All this time, if that bastard pureblood had just let Yuki live the regular role of a little sister and not some twisted commitment of incest, none of this would have happened.

"Can we find her?" he asked. The Chairman thought for a moment.

"It could take a long time," he said. "We may never find her." Zero's heart plummeted. "But we can try. The person who kidnapped her obviously has either high powers, or high status. Most likely a vampire. Who else would want Yuki?"

"That narrows it down to the entire world of vampire, Kaien. That doesn't help."

"Wrong. That narrows it down to nobles and whatever purebloods are left. No common vampire could command the two who took Yuki away. All the noble vampires I know and know of are far above this sort of treachery."

"Above?" Zero grumbled. "Last time I checked, the last person _above_ something knocked up his sister, who we don't even know gave consent or not."

Saying those words stung Zero in the heart. He still didn't know. At first he thought she didn't want it, but looking further into it…

"What purebloods are now alive?" he asked, diverting his thoughts.

"The Shirabuki family," said Kaien. "But I don't think that Sara would stoop this low."

Zero almost laughed at that. Sara certainly _would _stoop this low. But this just wasn't her style.

"Kaname is also out," the Chariman continued. "Rido is dead…and so…is…Shizuka."

Zero turned towards the Headmaster. In his eyes, Zero saw doubt and fear.

"What are you trying _not_ to say, Kaien?" he asked, suspiciously. "What are you keeping from me?"

The Chairman looked away and sighed.

"I honestly do not believe Shizuka is dead." He pushed up his glasses. "She could have had well enough time to transfer her spirit back into Marie Kurenai before Kaname killed her."

Zero felt a sudden tightness in his chest and his tattoo throbbed. If she was alive, and she had Yuki, how far would Zero be willing to go to find her?

"We're going," said Zero, standing up. "Now."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I've been having severe writers block latele (it seems I write the best when I am procrastinating for a project or school work...or its 4:30 in the morning) So I hope I haven't lost my touch. **REVIEW.**


	13. The VTeam

Zero felt snow hit his silver head and he scowled as the collected snow melted and dripped into his eyes. He buttoned the last button on his trench coat and shook his hair dry. Cross Kaien knocked on the doors of the Vampire Hunter's Association and the large gate lifted, allowing them access. Zero ignored the numerous stares he always received when he came here and preceded to follow Kaien into a room he was not familiar with. When they entered, it looked like a simple living room.

There was a pool table, a television filled with static, and a kitchenette, all areas filled with the disgusting scent of a cigar. There were two doors. One was cracked allowing a stream of light in, and the other was closed on the other side of the room, and steam leaked from underneath.

As soon as Zero stepped one foot in the doorway, he heard the click of guns and the "shing" of swords being pulled from their sheathes. The tall black haired man at the pool table held two rifles point blank at him while the small man who had been sitting on the couch held a bow staff in his hands, similar to the Airtimes rod. The door to the bathroom swung open with a tall slender woman in a towel carrying a duplicate of the Bloody Rose. Finally an enormous man stepped out of the last room carrying the biggest sword Zero had ever seen. He wore pajamas with horses on them and a night cap and under his arm was a small brown teddy bear. Zero raised his eyebrows at him.

"Katsu!" said Kaien, approaching the man at the pool table. "It's good to see you."

The tall dark haired man kept his eyes on Zero and greeted Kaien.

"Long time no see," he said; his voice was deep. "Who's the vamp?"

Zero scowled, pushing away his coat where the Bloody Rose rested in his belt and pushed down the collar to reveal the tattoo on his neck. Immediately, Katsu and his team put down their weapons. The woman groaned and pulled up her towel once more before returning to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Watch it!" cried the large man who set his sword against the wall and went over to the couch, practically kicking the small man off and switching the television from white noise to what looked like a soap opera. His gray hair was buzzed and he had muscles wherever you could have them. Zero made a mental note to steer clear of him. His slender frame would be like a twig in that man's grip.

"How has the school been since the invasion?" asked Katsu.

"The children are doing fine," Kaien replied. "Look, I need a huge favor from you and your team. Do you remember Yuki?"

Before anything else happened, the young woman came out of the bathroom again, wearing tight black jeans and a black tank top, her fire red hair falling to her waist. She ignored everyone's gazes and went straight to the fridge, taking out a carton of milk and then she scowled.

"Goggles!" she yelled, turning towards the little man who had been watching t.v. "Stop putting the empty carton in the fridge!"

Goggles dipped his ashen blond head and like a puppy, walked to the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

"Home sweet home," Zero muttered. The woman glared at him and threw the carton in the sink. She walked over to Zero and pointed her Bloody Rose at his neck.

"And who are _you_, leech?" she spat, her red lips pulled into a tight scowl. Katsu grabbed the woman's arm and took the gun from her hand.

"Akane," he said quietly, "stop it. He's tame, remember?"

Akane jerked from Katsu's grip and snatched her gun from his hand before mumbling, "They're all the same," and returning to the kitchenette.

"Sorry about her," said Katsu, then turning to Kaien once more. "As we were, yes I remember her. Have you heard from her lately?"

_Well things spread fast in the Association,_ Zero said, glaring at Kaien. The Chairman rolled his eyes.

"More than that," he said. "She came back. Her condition was…delicate. And-"

"The girl's knocked up isn't she?"

"Akane, shut up. Continue, Kaien."

"Actually, she's right. Yuki is pregnant. It seemed fine that she would stay with us, but two vampires came and snatched her away."

The large man on the couch turned towards them and said, "What did they look like?"

"The male had long black hair and long limbs," said Zero abruptly. "And the female was a level E with extremely long fingernails and raggedy brown hair. They both had red eyes, does that help?"

The sarcasm of Zero's last comment got him another death glare from Akane.

_Oh, joy. I've made a friend_, he thought.

"Goggles!" Katsu cried. The small man came from the room, twirling his thumbs and looking down.

"Yes?" he whimpered.

"Get the equipment and car ready."

Goggles left swiftly and the attention was back on Kaien.

"Were they working alone?" said Katsu. Kaien shook his head.

"This might sound like a stretch, but we have reason to believe they are working for the pureblood, Shizuka Hio."

"But she's dead," said the big man.

"That's what we thought, Hiroki. However she could have transferred her spirit into one of our night class students, Maria Kurenai. She had possessed her for quite a while before this."

"So Shizuka was Maria, then her, then Maria again?" said Hiroki.

"Yes, yes, and we think so."

Hiroki rubbed his temples like he had a headache and turned back to his soap. Zero tried not to smirk at anyone. Analyzing thing unique team, he saw that Yasu was strong, but stupid. Akane was one he would have fun with. Katsu was the leader, and Goggles…well he wasn't sure… the pet maybe?

"Alright," said Katsu, grabbing a belt of ammunition off the coat hanger casually and slung it over his shoulder. Hiroki went to the bed room and got the sheath for the enormous sword, slinging it over his back. Goggles came back in, threw Katsu some keys, and then scurried back out, bumping into Zero on the way. Akane snagged a bag of chips from the cupboard and another beer and followed everyone out of the room, shouldering past Zero.

"She's a lively one isn't she?" said Kaien, guiding Zero out the door. "Come on. Let's find Yuki."

* * *

Shizuka stepped out from the stuffy dungeon. She groaned and then the bulbs of the chandelier above her burst into pieces. As soon as the glass pieces touched the floor, a level E vampire rushed to Shizuka's feet and began to clean up the shards.

"Pardon me, mistress," it said, working quickly. "Wouldn't want you to cut your feet. Why don't you lie down for a moment?"

Shizuka obliged and walked over to the couch slowly, lounging across it. She played with the strands of her silver hair and stared at the ceiling in silence. She pondered the long months ahead for that pureblood baby to be born, and the kind of measures she would have to take to ensure the baby came out healthy and filled with power.

"Tora, prepare the room I assigned for Yuki-san. I want her to be comfortable so the baby is not harmed," she said. "Also, prepare a good meal for her. She _is_ eating for two."

The Level E nodded, picked up the rest of the shards, and left quickly. Shizuka rose from the couch and walked down the hall. Her living conditions were remarkably satisfying for someone who was in hiding with a Kuran princess, about half a dozen Level E and a couple common vampires. She chuckled to herself as she entered one room that was filled with lit candle. In the back of the room, a small chest sat on a mahogany table, rose petals littered about it. Shizuka approached the chest and slowly lifted the top. Inside, a small vial, no bigger than her pinkie, half filled with blood lay in a cushion of velvet, safely secured. Shizuka ran her finger along the glassy surface and a tear came to her eye. She immediately flicked it away.

"Rido-chan," she whispered lightly. "How I miss you. But I promise you will soon be in my arms again. And you will have your wish." Her peach colored eyes flashed. "You will have the blood of the Kuran princess."

She looked at her reflection in the vial with a sad face. It was the face of a mere child. Maria's short stature and fragile frame were indeed limiting and demeaning. She longed to have her body back. But she would have to wait for that as well.

"These things take time, my love," she said to the vial. "Be patient. You will have satisfaction. And I will have you once more."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey guys. Those last four characters, Katsu, Akane, Goggles, and Hiroki are somewhat OC for me. They're based off a few characters my friend came up with so I'm not taking any credit for their idea, just their personalities and names.


	14. Vision

_A room with no windows. This certainly looks familiar, _Yuki thought, surveying her new room. It was large, and luxurious, but it was still a prison nonetheless. The days and months had all but fused together. Yuki didn't even know what time it was, much less the day. The only source of passage of time was her growing belly, which at this point only stuck out a few inches, but still more than before. Yuki rubbed her stomach and looked at herself sideways in the mirror.

_Am I healthy enough to have a baby?_ She thought. She was always so slender; would her frame be able to hold a child? Would she survive giving birth? She knew these questions didn't bother as much now as they would once the baby was even larger.

"I'm a mother," she said aloud. She gave a slight smile, but her mind still fought the conflicting thoughts in her head.

"This is Kaname's child," she whispered. "Yes, he is mine. But Oni-sama wanted him. I didn't…at first…"

_Like I said before, you don't fit anywhere with a vampire leeching baby growing inside you_.

Yuki nearly screamed at the voice in her head. It had returned. She lurched backwards and grabbed her head as it started to throb.

_Are you sure you don't want this to be Kiryu-Zero's baby?_

"What?" Yuki whimpered. "Why would I- aah!"

_Your lifelong friend, who had always been in love with you. He was never forced by his parents, did you ever think about that?_

"Shut up."

_He had no parents to tell him who to love. _Your _parents, however, threw you together like purebred dogs. Keeps the blood going. Keep the pureblood in the world._

"Stop!" Yuki cried. She looked up at herself in the mirror. She squealed as she saw Zero staring back at her through the mirror.

_You never kept your promises, Yuki,_ he said. _You didn't stay by my side, but you also didn't keep running. You came back, hoping for sympathy. I gave it to you too. You returned the feelings, and then what do you do? You can't make up your pretty little mind on who do you love? What went on in that bedroom, dear Yuki? _

"Stop it!" Yuki screamed. She grabbed an ivory hairbrush from the table by her bed and hurled it into the mirror, shattering it. Zero's image disappeared. And the room was silent once more. Yuki found herself cowering at the other end of the room, curled up with her knees to her chest. She stared through her short bangs at the shards on the floor and the few that still stuck into the mirror frame. Tears sprang to her eyes. She was hysterical, staring in horror at the prison surrounding the broken mirror. She whimpered and babbled random words out of fear of saying the wrong thing. What if she said something that made the voice return?

"Ze-ro, Zero, Zero," she cried into her hands. "Father, someone please help me."

When she looked back up again, to her horror, she saw the room splattered with blood. Her nightgown was stained dark red. Yuki screamed and clambered back until she hit the wall. She shut her eyes tight and buried her face in her hands again.

"No, no, no," she whispered. "Not again. Not this again. This shouldn't happen."

These visions. She couldn't possibly be having them again. She stopped having them after she changed back into a vampire. Why was she having them again?

Was there more she needed to know?

* * *

The "Hunter-mobile" as Zero had nicknamed it, was large, but with Hiroki in it, they might as well be in a toy car instead of a van.

Hiroki was huddled in the back, his sword tilted diagonally to fit from corner to corner in the van's interior.

Katsu was driving, and Kaien was in the passenger's seat. Instead of two more rows of seats in the van, the entire back was taken out and replaced with only three swiveling chairs and a bunch of complicated looking equipment.

Goggles sat directly behind Katsu, staring wildly at a radar screen. He seemed to know what he was doing so Zero didn't question his sanity.

However to his luck, he got the chair right next to Akane, who was behind Kaien's chair. She popped her knuckles and then took a drink from her beer. She occasionally glanced at Zero suspiciously; her fingers looked as if they were itching to get around his neck.

"So do you think you can get a hold on her location?" Kaien asked Goggles over his seat. Goggles mumbled a few things very quickly, peering through his oddly shaped glasses.

"Why are his glasses different sizes?" Zero asked dully. Akane chuckled lightly and patted Goggle's head.

"He made them himself," she said. "They're special. Show him, Goggles."

Goggles turned to Zero and tapped the top of the larger lens. Immediately, the glass started to show multiple images of "loading…" and what looked like calculations. His eyes flashed around wildly as he read whatever was scrolling down the lens.

"Kiryu-Zero," he started. "Age: eighteen. Height: 6' 2''. Weight: 140 lbs. Current status: Former Human, vampire. Time until Level E is-"

"Shut up!" Zero snapped. "I get the concept, just shut him up, he's giving me a headache."

Goggles looked hurt and turned around, dropping his head.

"You did great, Goggles," Akane said, patting him on the shoulder, and then punching Zero in the arm.

"Damn!" Zero cried. "You don't even know me and you're already hitting me!"

"I've always had good judgment in people," she said, swiveling her chair so she faced the front. Her hair hit Zero in the face like a whip. He got a mouthful of it which tasted terrible. He crossed his arms and stretched his legs out the other way towards Hiroki.

"Zero," said Kaien. "Just for a brief intro, Katsu is obviously the head of this team." Katsu gave a small wave. "He specializes in firearms and sniper combat. Hiroki back there is the heavy duty specialist. He drives the armored vehicles and operates the heavy machinery and weapons, unfortunately we could only bring the small sword this time."

_That hunk of metal is the _small_ one? _Zero thought, glancing briefly at Hiroki, who appeared to be watching another one of his soaps on a small portable TV.

"Akane's field is close combat, stealth, and social skills. She's the con-woman of the group. If we need to charm someone or to get in and out quickly, she's the one you need."

"Get in and out of where, a hotel room?" Zero muttered. Akane kicked him in the leg from behind. Zero had to look twice and realize how flexible Akane was to have kicked him sitting down and facing the other way.

"Goggles here is our technical specialist and pedologist."

Zero blinked a few times and stared at Kaien.

"Pedologist?" he said slowly. "He studies _dirt_?"

Goggles looked back at him and smiled, nodding rapidly. Zero averted his gaze from the entire team and just looked at the floor.

"What made you think _these_ people would help us find Yuki?" he asked, knowing this would attract many pairs of eyes but he didn't care.

"They are the top of their league," said Kaien. "They've located multiple hidden Level E fugitives."

"I'm sure locating a knocked up pureblood vampire should be a piece of cake," said Akane, digging her slender hand into a bag of chips. Zero gripped the seat of his chair in restraint. Somehow he wasn't sure he would be able to keep from strangling Akane if she so much as breathed on him during this long roadtrip.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Haha, I think I truely based Goggles off of Mole from the movie Atlantis, only cleaner and more paranoid. Haha. Tell the truth, do you guys like the V-Team? Let me know! And if you like them, who's your favorite? :-) Let's have fun with this group.


	15. Blood Trail

**Quick Note:** Please don't hate me for the huge time jump!

* * *

**~Six months later~**

Kaien sat at his desk back at the Academy. A small pine tree sat in the corner of his office, decorated with ornaments and stringed popcorn, and topped with an angel. The students had made the tree for him since their Headmaster had lost the heart for most cheerful activities lately. Most of the students had no clue to why their Headmaster had lost the spark that made him the famous Cross Kaien of Cross Academy, always happy, always encouraging. Nowadays, he monitored the students, did his job, and then retreated to his office for the time he did not have to work.

Now all the students were off for Christmas break and the Academy was once again silent. Zero was not even there. He was never around lately.

"Do you know where he is now?" asked Katsu, sipping his eggnog. He grimaced and poured a bit of whiskey from his personal canteen into the cup and drank again.

"Hmm, Zero?" Kaien said glumly. "I'm not quite certain right now. Every time he gets an assignment, he finishes the job, and then he stays longer to search for Yuki. He still doesn't think you and your team looked long enough."

"That was two months ago!" Katsu groaned. "He just needs to face it. She's probably dead."

Kaien's face contorted in pain and he took off his glasses to wipe his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kaien. That was uncalled for."

"It's alright," Kaien responded quietly. "Truly the most painful thing is that it's the first Christmas without Yuki _and_ Zero. Last year Zero was here, and it was awkward. But now…it's just painful." He glanced at the Christmas tree. "The students have been so caring to me. I guess they miss the hyper Chairman."

"They miss the fatherly Chairman," said Katsu. "It's probably because you've practically lost two children-like figures to you."

"Zero was never really my son." Kaien chuckled quietly. "He never liked to be called my son. It makes sense now though. He was always in love with Yuki, and it probably would have been awkward. I guess he's never been one to give up hope, even when he let Yuki go with Kuran Kaname." He paused. "Yuki _was_ my daughter."

"So you really think she's…"

Kaien nodded slowly and wiped his eyes again.

"I have almost no doubt about it," he continued. "Which truly is sad because in that one loss three people were lost."

"Three?"

"Yuki, the baby of course… and Zero. He was never quite the same once people deemed her dead. I don't think he believes she is though. He's never stopped looking. Even when we gave up…"

* * *

"Hey buddy, you gonna finish your drink? I'm closing the restaurant portion so if you want to head to the bar to finish up it's fine, just hurry up."

Zero looked dully at the innkeeper and pushed his chair back loudly before rising with his tall mug of water, concentrated with half a dozen blood tablets.

"'Ya know," said the innkeeper. "You're ID says you're old enough to drink. Eighteen is old enough here."

"Yea, as if kids my age aren't idiots enough," Zero retorted. "Give 'em alcohol. Now that's a show."

The innkeeper gave him a confused glare, as if he was not sure whether to be proud of Zero's sober attitude or disappointed his lack of respect for elders.

"Just go to the bar, I'm closing up," he finished. Zero picked a seat at the bar and flipped the hood of his jacket up, crossing his arms across the counter and hunching over. He fit right in now.

There were a few more sketchy characters in the bar. Some with tattoos.

Check.

Concealed weapons.

Check.

And probably interesting stories behind them.

Double check.

"What's your name?" said the innkeeper.

"Kiryu-Zero."

"So Zero, what brings you here?"

Friendly innkeeper, who was apparently named Bok.

"Special business," Zero replied. _Special _was an understatement. About half a dozen Level E vampire had been running wild around these parts. He took them out this morning.

"You some sort of hit man or something?" Bok asked, eyeing the Bloody Rose in its halter attached to Zero's belt. He chuckled before taking a swig of his "bloody" water.

"You could say something like that."

That shut him up. For a while.

"So what's your story, Zero?"

Zero chuckled again.

"You don't want to know my story," he muttered, swishing the water around in his mug. Bok leaned across the counter after wiping out another mug and glared at Zero.

"Try me," he said. "I've probably heard worse."

"Not if you knew the whole story."

"The bar is open all night. I have time. What did lose your girl to someone else or somethin'?"

Zero didn't chuckle this time. Instead, he just brought the mug to his lips and whispered, "Yes."

* * *

Yuki ran as fast as she could, though it was hard with her heavily swollen belly weighing her down. She felt as if she was going to pass out, and the snow slowed her down.

"There she is!" a voice cried behind her. "Get her! Don't let her escape!"

Yuki's adrenaline kicked in and she pumped her legs even harder.

_Run, just run. Get as far as you can!_ She thought frantically. She was thankful that that one Level E was stupid enough to leave the door to her room unlocked. After a while, she had found the exit and took off.

"I'm coming Zero," she breathed out. Suddenly, something grabbed her leg and she fell forward.

_No no no,_ she thought, thrusting her hands out to catch herself before her stomach hit the heavily rooted ground, sticking out of the snow. The very same Level E that had carelessly keyed her freedom, now held her in a death grip.

"I am not letting you go now!" he cried in his metallic voice. Yuki cried and tried to claw her way forward, but he dragged her back. In a last minute attempt, Yuki bit down on her wrist hard and then began flicking her blood everywhere, and rubbing it into the ground. The Level E seemed irritated from the scent of her blood, but he obviously did not recognize her intentions. He dragged her all the way back to the hidden location, Yuki's blood trailing the whole way.

_The blood will disappear eventually,_ Yuki thought. _But the scent will last a good while._

The Level E pulled her back in and shut the door to the outdoor world.

"You little bitch!" he hissed, grabbing Yuki by the front of her shirt. "You nearly cost me my life!"

"Only to protect another!" Yuki snapped, spitting in his face. The Level E shrieked and slapped her in the face, knocking her to the ground. The scent of the carpet was intoxicating under Yuki's nose. It smelled like roses.

"Aaaaaieeeee!"

When Yuki looked back up, Maria….Shizuka was there, her arm clear through the Level E's neck.

"Do _not_ harm my property," she hissed, thrusting her arm back out, blood soaked her from her forearm to her fingertips. The Level E gagged and then disintegrated into sand. Shizuka licked her fingers a bit and then knelt down next to Yuki. She placed her clean hand on her red cheek and rubbed lightly.

"You shouldn't have run away," she said softly. "There's no use in it. You're mine, and soon, you'll be Rido-san's as well."

Yuki's eyes widened to saucers and she gasped loudly in shock. Her expression was of pure horror.

"U-uncle R-Rido?" she stuttered. "He's dead! We killed him!"

"As was I, my dear. But here I am. And with what you carry under your heart right now, I will be able to resurrect my lover, and with the new power he will wield from that baby's life, I will get my body back and there will be nothing you can do about it."

Yuki's breath grew ragged and shallow.

"N-no."

"Yes, dear Yuki. And you know what he will do once he is resurrected?"

Shizuka leaned in next to Yuki's ear and whispered, "He'll finally get his dream meal."

She giggled and danced off, leaving Yuki cowering on the carpet. She covered up her belly, as if to protect what she carried.

_My baby,_ she thought. _She can't have him! No!_

Yuki threw herself at the door again. Her fingers tried to work the locks without the keys until they bled along with her wrist. After a while, another vampire came in and took her to her room and bandaged her up. She wore a veil over her face, and wore her ashen blond hair in a tight bun, even though several strands fell in front of her face. She also constantly spoke in a whisper.

"Here, take these," she said, handing Yuki three capsules. "They are good for the baby."

The vampire handed Yuki a glass of water to take them with and then went to turn down her bed sheets.

"Who are you?" Yuki asked. The lady ignored her. She was about to walk out the door when Yuki got up and grabbed her, forcing her back into the room.

"Tell me who you are!" she demanded angrily. The woman tried to break free, grunting and gasping.

"Let me go!" she cried. Yuki paused, but held fast onto her arm. She reached up and tried to remove the veil.

"Stop!" the woman cried, grasping a hold of Yuki's wrist.

"I recognize your voice!" said Yuki. "You sound like…someone I used to know. It's been so long I can hardly remember which voice belongs to whom…"

The woman sighed and let go of Yuki's wrist and closed the door. She took a step back and slowly took the veil off of her face. Yuki had to rack her brain to recognize who she looked at but then she gasped and reached out to touch the woman's face, as if to make sure she was really there and not one of her freak illusions.

"R-Ruka?"

* * *

**Author's Note**: THREE PARTS! Ha, but yea, please don't hate me for the HUGE time jump. There really isn't much that I could write that would benifit the plot. I'll probably bring the V-Team back in sometime if you want me too. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	16. Reunion

The scent was so strong, so fresh.

And it was Yuki's fresh scent.

Zero dashed through the snow, the blood stain nearly washed away by the winter blanket. He breathed deeply through his nose as he ran, desperately trying to keep track of Yuki's scent. He had the Bloody Rose drawn, ready to shoot anything that got in his way. He finally looked up when he stood before black iron gates, chained together at the lock, which looked too old and rusted to work without the help of the chain links. Behind the gate and stone wall that blocked Zero's path, stood a tall old cathedral, practically crumbling from age. The scent grew stronger and the enormous doors to the cathedral flew open. Two figures seemed to be struggling to escape against a dozen vampires, by their scent. Zero's nostril's flared at several familiar smells.

Level E's.

Common vampires.

Shizuka Hio.

Ruka.

Yuki, Yuki, Yuki!

Zero all but tackled the iron gates. His pale hands clenched against the detailed and intricate metal twisting and designs that held him back. The chains jingled as Zero shook the gate violently.

"Yuki!" he cried, jerking the gate back and forward, trying to break the chains. One figure jerked up from the fray of vampires towards his cry.

"Zero!" she cried back. Even from far away, Zero could see Yuki's large midsection. He was caught off guard for a moment.

But only a moment.

He shook the gates harder, with more force. Cold sweat began to bead up under his silver hair, causing it to stick to his face. He took one final shove, and the chains broke with multiple "chinks" and the gates flew diving in to the pile, Zero caught one vampire by the neck who had grabbed Yuki by the edge of her nightgown, shot him, and flung the remaining sand of the vampire in another's face, temporarily blinding him before Zero shot him too.

"Ruka, get Yuki out of here!" he yelled harshly, shooting another vampire in the stomach. Ruka nodded, her face contorted in what looked like pain, and forced two other vampires to kill each other with her mind as she guided Yuki out of the fight. The Bloody Rose released shot after shot, putting down three vampires at a time as they kept coming, desperately trying to snatch back their previous prisoner. Zero followed Ruka from the cathedral yards, shooting as he walked swiftly backwards. Soon, all that filled the doorway to the cathedral were piles of sand, slowly disappearing in the wind. I look back at the retreating girls just in time to see Ruka collapse into the slowly reddening snow.

* * *

Ruka opened her eyes and winced as she tried to sit up. Zero's pale cold hand, surprisingly gently, pushed her back onto the bed she found herself on.

"What's going on?" she demanded, propping herself up on her elbows. "Where are we?"

"Just an inn I've been staying at," Zero replies. "The food around these parts beats the Academy cafeteria by miles."

The first time Zero had casually joked with her, and she couldn't laugh because of the sickening pain in her abdomen. She lifted the covers to see her whole midsection bandaged up. All she wore right now was the tank top underneath her previous disguise, and the skirt.

"Yuki did the treating," Zero continued. "I just told her what to do, so don't be yelling that I violated you. We think one of the vampires got a hold of you or something."

"Wait, where's Yuki?"

With one swift wave of his head, Zero motioned towards the other room that linked to this one.

"Sleeping. There are two beds in that one," he said calmly. "Mine is near the door so I can keep an eye on both of you." He tilted his head. "Unless you don't want me to."

Ruka peered up at him in suspicion. His disposition was different. It wasn't really worse. It actually seemed more alive, a tad happier, even if he wasn't smiling.

"How long has it been?" she whispered. "Since…" She stared out the window. "Since everyone was together? Since the Academy had two famous classes, and one infamous secret? Since everything was normal?" She looked back at him.

"Technically a year and a half," he replied slowly. "But in my calculations, more like two years. In that little time, your precious _pureblood _had to go and sink his fangs into Yuki's neck. Didn't you notice how nothing was the same after that?"

"It started before that, Kiryu," Ruka replied coldly. "I overheard Kaname talking with Shiki when he was…you know…possessed, and Kaname said something about awakening Yuki. She was having visions and nightmares about her past and they were driving her mad. Would you rather her go mad than become a vampire?"

"What's the difference?" Zero muttered, standing up and walking to the other room.

"Shut the door on your way out," Ruka muttered, giving up on convincing his stubborn silver head of anything.

* * *

The door clicked shut just as Yuki woke up. The sheets were warm beneath her and comforting, even more so that she was no longer in an underground prison.

She kept her eyes closed as she heard someone enter the room and springs squeak as they sat on another bed. A long, deep sigh told her that Zero was here. She opened her eye a slit and then heard, "You've always been bad at pretending."

Her eyes snapped open as Zero. He wasn't even looking at her. He just sat on the bed next to hers, leaning against the head board. One leg was bent while the other stretched out, his usual position. He had unbuttoned his shirt a little, which was surprising because it was a little chilly. He looked down, sighed, and got up from the bed, walking over to Yuki's. With one swift, but gentle movement, he scooped Yuki up in his arms and held her as tightly as he could in the angle he was in. He didn't even touch Yuki's swollen belly.

"I missed you so much," he whispered, almost desperately. "The others… They said you were probably dead but I didn't believe them…"

Yuki hesitantly brought her arms up around Zero's broad back and rubbed up and down his spine comfortingly. Zero buried his face in the crook of her neck, just as he did so many times when he held her, as if he was trying to hide something each time. His long fingers gently stroked the back of Yuki's head as he held her. It was amazing to her how six months could affect you, or others. She started to moan and then winced.

"Ow, Zero, hang on," she said, starting to pull away. "He's kicking."

Zero's iron grip slowly and sadly retracted as Yuki sat back, rubbing her stomach. Zero stared at her midsection, neither smiling nor frowning. He watched as Yuki's gentle hand rubbed all around her stomach, seemingly trying to calm the baby down.

"He's been doing that a lot lately," she said with a smile. Thousands of memories flooded back into Zero's mind. Yuki's old cheerful attitude, even when he could tell she was unhappy. She would always give a smile and a giggle, even after pouring her heart out to him on one of their nightly patrols around the Academy. His minds were interrupted with a sudden random thought.

"Wait, _he_?" he said slowly. "How do you know-"

"Shizuka Hio," Yuki said calmly. "She was able to tell."

Zero suddenly grew angry and stood up. His fists were clenched and his eyes were starting to burn red from anger, strangely not from lust. The tattoo on his neck began to ache and he sat back down on Yuki's bed, doubling over and clenching his chest.

"Zero," Yuki said quietly. "What's wrong?"

She touched his back gently, which caused him to flinch.

"That woman," he said through his teeth. "It _was_ her! She's not gone."

So many things were wrong with this situation. First of all, Yuki was pregnant, not that that was a surprise or anything, but she had grown and filled out since the last time Zero had seen her. And the fact that it was Kaname's _son _put a damper on his day as well. Second, Kaien's suspicion of Shizuka Hio's return had been correct. She was back, in fact, she never really left.

Zero was slowly calming down when he jumped slightly. Yuki wrapped her arms around his waist, as much as she could without touching her belly to his back. Her hands went up to his chest and held him from behind. Zero felt her breath on the side of his head as she moved to his ear.

"I wish this was your son," she whispered close to his ear. Zero stiffened under Yuki's arms and took a hold of her hands, only to remove them from his body.

"You don't want that," he said softly. "You don't know what would happen."

He turned around as Yuki's hurt face turned to confusion.

"Yuki, you're a pureblood," he said with his deep voice. "I'm Level D. A dirty former human. I'm scum of the earth compared to you. What do you think our…" He hesitated. "…Our child would turn out to be?"

That sounded so weird for him to say. Until recently, Zero had never imagined having an intimate relationship with Yuki. He never really even had fantasies about her. The closest he'd ever gotten was kissing her, and _that_ tooka lot of courage. He would stare death in the face and call it all sorts of profanities, but confess his feelings to and kiss Yuki?

Funny how irony works out like that.

"I don't care how the baby would come out to be," said Yuki, looking down at her stomach. "I would love them with all my heart." She looked back up. "Like you."

Zero didn't show any change in disposition. Yuki stared at him, waiting for a response.

"This would be more shocking and pleasing," Zero said flatly, "if you hadn't done it before, and then pretty much taken it back."

He looked away, at the wall, waiting for Yuki to respond. Feeling Yuki shift on the bed to her knees, he looked over at her as she placed her hands on each side of his face.

"If you think just a kiss is going to fix everything," he said lowly. "Think again."  
But Yuki didn't kiss him. She just stared at him, locking his eyes with hers.

"All this time, the whole time I was imprisoned," Yuki started, "I wasn't thinking of Kaname. I didn't want to see him. I didn't want him to barge in and heroically save me. I didn't want to go back to our home where I would be placed underground again. I wanted to go back home to Cross Academy. I wanted to see you come in and rescue me. I wanted every night, for my dreams of you to materialize and comfort me. I would look forward to sleep because that was the only time I saw you. Except…" She paused. "Except when I was haunted with so many horrifying visions."

Zero's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"You're still having visions?" he asked. "Of what? I thought they went away after Kaname turned you-"

"I thought so too," she replied quickly. "But I don't think they were because of the vampire inside me. I think…I think they were because my mixed feelings for Kaname and you were just too much for me to handle _during _my transformation. After I awakened, I constantly craved blood. Kaname's blood never satisfied me. He said once…"

"Only the blood of someone you truly love can quench your thirst," Zero finished for her. "I know. You've told me before."

Yuki nodded, expressionless, and gently tilted Zero's head up and placed her head on his shoulder, facing his neck. Her hot breath became ragged as she breathed against Zero's cold skin. He relaxed at the comforting heat and wrapped his arms around Yuki's back, pulling her close.

"Do it," he said, almost harshly. Yuki hesitantly ran her tongue across Zero's skin and then slowly bit down for the first time in half a year. Sweet blood rushed across her tongue. The scent burned her nostrils and throat. She tangled her fingers in Zero's silver hair tightly, holding his head back as she drank deeply. His thoughts flowed into her head as she swallowed.

_I want her, I need her, I love her. I don't deserve her._

Yuki pulled her lips away from Zero's neck and licked his wound shut, then wiped the blood from her lips and looked up at him.

"Yes you do," she quietly said, and kissed him. Zero was taken by surprised by her sudden force. She held them together as if every force in the world was trying to pull them away. It seemed like it at that point. Zero held Yuki tighter and kissed her back, tasting his own blood on her tongue. He leaned over her, causing her to lie back down on the bed. He placed his arms on each side of her head and kissed her form above, careful to not lie on her stomach. His knees were propped up in between her legs and on the side other hip as his fingers clenched into the sheets.

It was almost painful to be with her like this after these years. He was almost afraid she would take everything back again, but then his mind shut everything out but her as he stared at her through half lidded eyes. He slid one hand beneath her head, entwining his fingers in her hair. Yuki slowly reached up his shirt, stroking his firm stomach muscles, making him groan a little.

"Yuki," he said deeply. Yuki was a bit shocked that his voice could drop that low. But it didn't frighten her. It just made her fall deeper under his involuntarily seductive spell. She wanted this to last forever.

But again, irony.

"Lust is a strong force, isn't it?"

Both Zero and Yuki froze; their eyes flew open at the door where the deep, icy voice came from.

"But then again," Kaname continued, crossing his arms, "so are hormones."

* * *

**A/N:** Mwahaha, I love ruining a perfect moment. But anyway. The first sign with Zero at the cathedral gates I took from the theme song of the Season 1 anime. I couldn't resist. It was too perfect :-P. Sorry this one was soooo long. I just didn't want to drabble on and on with useless chapters.


	17. Closure

_Previously_

_"Lust is a strong force, isn't it? But then again, so are hormones."_

* * *

Just as the words left Kaname's lips, Zero reached around to the back of his belt and whipped the Blood Rose in Kaname's direction. The chain dangled in front of Yuki's nose, and occasionally touched her stomach as it swung back and forth. Zero was still on his knees, but his back was upright as he glared at Kaname.

"What are you doing here?" asked Zero.

"I should ask you the same question, Kiryu." Kaname leaned against the door frame, his arms still crossed at his chest. "Or rather, what _were_ you doing _here_?" He motioned to Yuki, who still lay on her back, looking at him. Her face was beet red and her eyes wider than saucers.

"K-Kaname," she stuttered. "We weren't…"

"Weren't what?" he asked, leaning off the door frame. "Weren't doing _anything_ that might be considered infidelity? He might not even have touched you and I would not stutter to say that the position you two were in when I walked in was near to intimate."

"We weren't doing that Kuran," Zero intervened. "I would never do that to her without her consent. And _that's _a step up from you."

Kaname's back stiffened and his jaw clenched. Zero smirked for a short moment, satisfied that he had hit a sensitive spot. Kaname's eyes searched both of them on the bed and then flickered towards Zero, then back at Yuki.

"So, I see you've drunk his blood," he said calmly, but fury still building up in his eyes. "What does it taste like, Yuki?"

Yuki lifted her fingers to her lips. She could still taste Zero's warm blood in the corners of her mouth. It was unlike any blood she'd ever tasted. Compared to Kaname's, it was definitely not as sweet, but it had a musky scent and taste. It reminded her of his regular scent: Spearmint and pine. It was outdoorsy, but had a kick to it. It was only until she felt both Kaname's and Zero's eyes on her that she was brought back to reality.

"Uh…" she tried to materialize what she'd thought into words. "What does it taste like?"

Kaname nodded but Zero pointed the gun back at him and said, "You don't have to answer to him Yuki. You don't even have to tell me."

"Why?" Kaname said his voice dropping. "Because you're afraid that your blood isn't the blood that quenches Yuki's thirst? Are you afraid that it tastes like sewer water?" Kaname rubbed his neck casually. "Of course, that would suit you wouldn't it?"

In a matter of seconds, Zero clicked the hammer on his gun. Yuki leaped up and pushed his arm upward just as he pulled the trigger. Zero grabbed her arm out of impulse and glared down at her.

"What are you doing?" he said, letting go. "He's done plenty to provoke me!"

"Hardly," Kaname said, chuckling. "But let's not dwell on this subject. I want to know something." He looked at Yuki. "Where have you been this whole time? Believe me I would be more overjoyed to see you if I hadn't just walked in to see you in the arms of a mutt."

Yuki sat up and pointed one long finger at Kaname before snapping, "Don't you dare call him that! If you've wondered where I've been for these…" She paused. "How long…was I gone?"

"Almost seven months," Zero said calmly, not taking his eyes off Kaname.

"Thank you… Almost seven months I was gone! Did you even try to look for me?"

"Of course I did Yuki," he said calmly. "I looked night and day for you."

Yuki's expression softened and she sat up more in bed, swinging her legs off the side. Zero's eyes followed her as she got up and walked over to Kaname slowly. His heart began to drop as she took Kaname's face in her hands, and then his heart completely shattered as she brought Kaname's face down to her own and kissed him. Zero's arm dropped his arm, the gun slipped from his hand and he sat down on his knees, staring at the two purebloods. Kaname's eyes flickered at Zero. There was a cold sensation in his head and then Zero heard Kaname's voice in his head.

_I win._

But then, Yuki jerked away. Kaname's lip was bleeding from where Yuki had bitten him. She backed up many steps before shouting, "You're lying!"

Zero's heart wasn't sure whether to leap to the sky or to stay down. He did think it was a clever idea for Yuki to kiss him, just to get a taste of blood as a vampire lie detector.

"You didn't look for me day and night!" Yuki continued. "You can't call sending a scout to watch Zero's progress in locating me, looking night and day. What was I not important enough for you to leave the comfort of your own home?"

"Yuki, listen," Kaname said lowly. "There's a method to my madness. I've been trying to keep things under control since your disappearance. Do you know how many people would go looking for you in a heartbeat, just to steal you themselves? Your blood, body, and status are so valuable, more valuable than mine. You are the key to the vampire race, especially now that we are recreating the pureblood line."

Yuki defensively placed her hands on her stomach and looked back up at Kaname. Zero couldn't see Yuki's face because she was turned away from him, but she began to tremble and shake violently. Her hands clenched to fists on her stomach and she bowed her head for a moment before jerking back up.

"_Out of rape!_" she screamed, her shrill voice echoed through the open hallway. She continued to tremble, and the all the wood in the room, the door behind Kaname, the bedposts, even the dresser, started to splinter under Yuki's pureblood power. Other than the sound of the wood, everything was completely and awkwardly silent.

_She didn't consent,_ thought Zero. _He forced her..._

"Yuki, you have to understand," said Kaname. "I-"

"No!" Yuki cried, stomping her foot. "I already understand! You don't understand! Ever since you awakened me, even before, you've been giving me these impossible decisions." She began listing them off. "You would tell me about my past only if I became your lover. Either I stay with you or _kill_ you and leave. I could consent in trying to have children, or you force me, which you did!"

Kaname's disposition did not change a bit through Yuki's rant. This made Zero wonder if he had a heart at all.

"You gave me decisions yes," she continued. "But they were impossibly choices to choose from. I mean…Kaname… stay or kill you? How could I choose freely from that without causing long term emotional damage to myself?"

Kaname was silent for a moment. He tried to reach out to Yuki, but she backed away, making Zero's heart leap a little.

"Yuki," Kaname said softly. "I gave you those choices because I love you. I never wanted to you to leave. I want children. I want you to be mine." He paused. "This is all for the best."

Zero stood up from the bed and went next to Yuki.

"Yes, Kuran," he said sarcastically. "Rape is for the best."

Kaname's eyes flared red again and suddenly, the Bloody Rose fired as Zero held it down. It shot through his foot. Zero yelled and fell to one knee.

"Why did you do that Zero?" asked Yuki.

"I didn't even touch the trigger!" he groaned, trying to staunch the blood. "It's Kuran's damn pureblood powers!" He looked back up at Kaname. "How are you able to control an anti-vampire gun?"

Kaname smiled slightly.

"When you have the power of two purebloods flowing through your veins," he said, "your power does intend to increase, Kiryu. Didn't you ever learn math?"

"You may have taken her power," said Yuki. "But she's not dead."

This caught him off guard.

"What?" Kaname snapped. "Impossible. I killed her myself. I know she's dead."

"Apparently not," said Zero. "She transferred her spirit back into Maria Kurenai's body before her body completely died. That's where Yuki was this whole time, imprisoned by Shizuka."

"But why?" Kaname demanded.

"She wanted the baby," Yuki answered. "She wanted him so she could use the fresh concentrated pureblood power to resurrect Uncle Rido. Then, once Rido was back, he would eat me as his original plan." She frowned. "So you can see how having children now was not the best idea."

"I didn't know!" Kaname snapped. "But you're safe now. Shizuka doesn't have the baby, and she doesn't have you. We can go home now."

"No!" Yuki cried, backing up to where she touched Zero. "I'm not going with you. I'm not going to make the same mistake I did last time."

Kaname scanned the scene he saw before him. Yuki was carrying his child, but she was clinging to Zero like glue. It was all wrong.

"That child needs its father," he protested. "Zero couldn't take care of a child if he wanted to. I took care of you when our parents could not. I'm the father, it's my child. Please come home."

"I am going home," Yuki said. "Cross Academy is my home. Kaname, our parents betrothed us together, but they never gave us a choice." She paused. "Maybe that's where you got it from… But nonetheless, that was a chapter in our lives that simply wasn't connected to the unexpected twists that we've encountered later. Our parents were murdered, I lost my memory, was adopted, met Zero… went to the Academy. Everything changed Kaname. If none of this had happened, the outcome might have been different, but it's not." She stared him deep in the eyes. "I love Zero, Kaname. You will always be my brother, and I will always love you, but only as a brother."

For the first time, there was hurt in Kaname's eyes. He stared down at Yuki silently. He was thinking of what Ruka had said to him, and how he himself seemed to be torn between Yuki and her. Was this the answer he needed? Was this just the closure he needed to decide? Yuki loved Zero. He was positive Ruka loved him, but… would she still take him if he solidified his feelings towards her? _Did_ he have feelings towards Ruka?

There was suddenly a cry of pain from the other room.

"Ruka!" Yuki cried, rushing into the room.

"What's wrong?" Kaname demanded.

"Ruka was injured trying to rescue Yuki," Zero answered, glaring at him. And he limped into the other room leaving Kaname standing there, truly confused for the first time in his life.

* * *

**A/N:** Awwww, poor Kaname...not! *Passes out at the keyboard* This chapter was SO HARD to write, because it's hard to show Kaname's bad side without putting him completely OOC. And I also wanted him to have his own (though not very legit) reason for his madness (emphesis on the MADNESS, haha). But Thanks for sticking with me this far. This is the most reviewed story I've published! Thanks for all of your support and constructive critique, I love it all.


	18. Return

Ruka cried out in pain as Yuki rushed into the room. She was doubled over covering her stomach.

"Ruka," Yuki called lying her back down on her back. "What's wrong? What hurts?"

"It burns!" she practically screamed, turning on her side. Zero and Kaname were at the door as Yuki turned up the covers to look at Ruka's wound. It hadn't even started healing. In fact, it looked as if it was getting bigger.

"She's not healing up!" Yuki said over to Zero and Kaname. "How could this happen? You should be sealed up by now."

"But I'm not!" Ruka groaned, squinting her eyes shut, hot tears spilling over.

"Do you think blood would help?" Yuki said, ready to bite her wrist. Ruka did what Yuki thought was a shrugged. She raised her wrist to her lips and was about to bite down when Kaname suddenly nudged her out of the way and bit down on his wrist.

When he offered it to Ruka, her eyes started to gleam red and she hid half of her face in the pillow, fangs bared. Her face was drained of color and her eyebrows still scrunched together in pain. Slowly, Kaname reached over with his other hand and brought Ruka's head up and placed his bleeding wrist in front of her mouth. But she shook her head.

"I can't," she said, tears spilling from her eyes. "Not from you."

Whenever Kaname silently moved his wrist closer, Ruka moved away, still moaning in pain. Blood was about to drip onto the bed. Kaname sighed.

"Well, we cannot waist it can we?" he said quietly as he brought it to his own lips and all was silent for a moment. To Ruka and Zero, it just looked like he was sealing his own wound. But Yuki knew what was going on. He had pulled this on her before the day he had awakened her pureblood form.

Just as Yuki predicted, Kaname placed his hand behind Ruka's head and brought it closer, gently, but urgently. Before Ruka could react, Kaname pressed his lips to hers and leaned her head back, forcing her lips open. She groaned a bit against him and struggled weakly, but it soon died down and she slowly closed her eyes.

_I wonder if this is how I looked that night_, Yuki thought as she turned her head in discretion.

Zero was looking at Yuki who looked at the ground. New painful memories rushed into his mind, memories of the entire night. He had seen Kaname kiss Yuki; he had seen the blood trickle from the crack in her mouth. He had smelled the change in her scent, from human to vampire.

But, not it did not bother him as much as before. He had Yuki. And Kaname had Ruka? Did he? Would she take him?

Before his thoughts went any further, he realized Kaname and Ruka had pulled away and Ruka had wiped the blood from her lips. She stared at Kaname in weak shock. The pain in her face seemed to fade away and she looked down at her wound which proceeded to seal up.

"That's all I needed?" She whispered, running her long slender fingers over her stomach. Kaname took her hand and pressed it to his lips, closing his eyes.

"It's the least I could do," he said against her skin. Zero stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe.

"Well now that everyone is well," he said lowly. "Why don't we leave? The Chairman will be happy to hear you _alive_."

Yuki's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Everyone thinks I'm dead?" she stammered. Zero nodded and reached into his coat pocket. His fingers closed around something metal and when he pulled it out, Yuki immediately stood up.

"The Airtimes ro…scythe?" she said, still not used to not calling it a rod anymore. "Have you been carrying it this whole time?"

Zero nodded silently, brining on another wave of awkward silence. Ruka still held Kaname's hand as she sat up straight in bed.

"Let's go home," said Zero, going into the other room to retrieve the suitcase.

* * *

Shizuka threw a Level E servant against the wall, its body immediately bursting into dust. She screamed in a violent rage and thrust her hand through another servant's throat, watching as the dust collected on her bloodied arm.

"How _dare_ you let that girl escape!" she screamed at the other servants that were cowering against the wall, hoping they wouldn't meet the same fate as their fellow Level E's. "She was just one girl! A pregnant girl, no less, and you didn't even notice when that noble vampire snuck in? I could smell her the second she walked in! Though why no one took care of her is beyond my comprehension."

"We are filled with sorrow and regret at this mistake, Shizuka-sama," said one of the common vampires. "We will not let it happen again. We will go find her and bring her back once more and then you will have your wish."

Shizuka sighed and flipped her silver hair behind her head.

"I _would _like to get out of this childish body," she said. "Very well, go!"

The vampires scattered and dashed out the door into the snow. Shizuka retreated once more into her room and held the chest containing the vial of blood to her chest.

"Soon, my love," she said quietly. "Soon, I will have you once again in my arms. And nothing will stop us from having what we truly deserve. You will have the Kuran princess and supreme rule over all vampires and humans. And I will have you."

* * *

"Thank you for the ride- uh… what was your name again?"

Yuki peered over her seat from the back. The baby kicked though, so she sat back against the car seat.

"It's Akane. And don't thank me. I was just in town."

Zero rolled his eyes in the passenger seat and propped his feet up against the dash board. Akane glared at him and then kept on driving. Kaname and Ruka sat in the back where Hiroki normally sat. Ruka was asleep against Kaname's shoulder and Kaname was staring straight forward.

"Didn't think you would get over me that quickly," said Yuki, not quite meeting his gaze. Kaname blinked a few times, looked back up at Yuki, and then side glanced at Ruka's peaceful face.

"I guess it just took rejection to figure out who belonged with whom," he said slowly, placing his hand over Ruka's. "Make no mistake, Yuki, your words hurt, but… you were right. We aren't our parents, and we don't have to be. We shouldn't be obligated to be with each other if we love someone else."

"Too bad you didn't figure that earlier," Zero muttered, receiving another glare from Kaname.

"Well, are you not happy?" he asked Zero. "Yuki is yours. You do love her don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Alright!" Akane shouted from the driver's seat. "Everyone shut up so I can focus on driving without getting the urge to throw up. The stench of vampire is sickly strong right now. I'm already nauseas."

"Of course you are," Zero retorted. Akane groaned and sped up. Yuki looked away from Kaname and Ruka, but not before he saw Ruka's fingers entwine around Kaname's as she slowly awoke.

* * *

**N/A**: For some reason, I thought I already wrote something about this... oh well. Haha, I already have an idea for a sequel. Mwehehehe.


	19. Heat

"Although the Vampire Hunter Association is ridiculously good at what they do, they are insensitive when it comes to…well… _this!_"

Zero leaned against the hall, ranting on about Akane's assigned presence. Akane pressed her red lips together and narrowed her eyes.

"Do you think I _want_ to be here?" she asked impatiently. "I have much better things to do. The Association wants me here on Yuki's behalf. They want me to keep tabs on her and ultimately, the little spawn swimming around in her."

"Shut up," Zero snapped. "Look, I don't like this situation as much as you do, probably more. So let's just agree to not get in each other's way and we probably won't end up killing each other by the time the baby is born."

Akane nodded and walked off, her high heels clicking along the wood floor. Zero groaned and retreated back into the room he had stepped from. Yuki sat on her old bed, rubbing her hands over her swollen midsection. Zero face scrunched up and he turned away to hide his pain. His teeth grinded together and he clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry, Zero," Yuki said quietly, causing him to snap to attention. "I know the way I am. They way _he_ is…it causes you pain. But, Zero, he's my baby. There is just one part of me that desperately wants you to accept it. It is like-"

"Just stop, Yuki," Zero mumbled. "I get it. But I'm sorry. It is just hard to accept what is growing inside of you. That baby… just the fact that it is Kaname's. It fills my head with thoughts of him. Him touching you, doing things to you. It just makes me-"

He flinched as Yuki had walked over while he was talking and grabbed his hand gently. She brought his fingers to her lips and closed her eyes. She took in his scent slowly and smiled against his skin.

"You don't have to change for me," she said softly. "I know this part of you will never cease or change, simply because of your feelings for me. But at least accept the baby as mine, not Kaname's."

Before Zero could protest, Yuki moved his hand from her lips down to her belly and opened his palm on her stomach. His eyes snapped wide open. He was kicking; the baby was kicking!

"Damn," Zero breathed. "He's moving a lot."

Yuki giggled softly and moved his hand a little for a better feel.

"Feel his feet?" she asked. Zero hollowly nodded and continued to stare at what he was experiencing. It was something completely new. It was like a completely foreign feeling. The feeling of, well, life. And the fact that there was so much power in this one little child took him aback too. Out of the blue his mouth went faster than his thoughts to form a question.

"What are you going to name him?" he asked suddenly. Yuki stiffened and then her face contorted into puzzlement.

"I have no idea," she answered. "I haven't thought much about that."

"You have at least, what three months?" Zero muttered. "You'll have plenty of time."

* * *

Ruka looked sadly at the ground. Of course, there was always a catch.

"You know I have to stay, Ruka," said Kaname. "Even though I've realized my feelings, Yuki is still carrying my child and I cannot abandon her."

Ruka held on tightly to Kaname's hand as they stood outside, the chilling winds not affecting her under her thick coat. She nodded timidly in response to his proclamation. She knew this was coming, she just wished she had had more time with Kaname before she would practically have to share him again.

"I'll stay too," she said. "Don't protest. I'm staying with you, wherever you go. I'm keeping my promise to you."

Kaname moved in front of Ruka and held her face in his hands.

"I've always given you a choice," he replied. "Something…something I never gave to Yuki. You should probably take advantage of that choice."

Ruka's mouth opened slightly and red blush appeared on her face at his touch. She was trying to work up the courage to say what was on her mind but words refused to form. Kaname tilted his head slightly, staring into her eyes.

"Please say something," he whispered. "Anything."

Without thought or logic, Ruka shot up on her tiptoes and held on fast to Kaname's shoulders as she kissed him quickly. When she pulled back, he looked a bit shocked, but only as shocked as Kaname could ever look.

"Or I could do that," she said, failing at her attempt at adding flirtation to her voice. Kaname chuckled lightly and stroked her cheek with his thumbs.

"You're funny," he said softly, and brought her face back up to kiss her again. His arms encircled her nearly flawless form and curving up to stroke the hair that fell down her back. Ruka held fast around his neck to deepen the kiss, passion running through her. For so long she had waited for this moment, and now it felt too good to be true that she was afraid it might slip away, so she held on tighter, making Kaname bend over to the curve of her back. He stiffened for a moment when Ruka's tongue traced the curve of his lips, but he soon relaxed, following her show of affection, moving his lips in sync with hers.

"A bit bold, aren't we," Kaname said lowly against Ruka's lips. But as she was starting to reply, he kissed her open mouth, braiding his fingers into her hair wildly, holding her face to his. They explored each other and braced against the other, gripping whatever they could hold onto; hair, clothing, skin. The heat began to continuously build. Ruka completely forgot they were out in the snow. Her thoughts ran wild, thinking of ways to escape any connection to the world, and to simply be with Kaname. A corner, behind a tree, a bedroom. She felt heat build up on her face even more.

Suddenly, Kaname gripped Ruka's hair once more and tilted her head back, exposing her neck to the cold. She shivered a bit as Kaname's lips trailed down her jaw line to the middle of her neck. She moaned lightly, being taken back to the one night when Kaname had drunk from her simply to ease his thirst.

Now, he _was_ thirsty- for her.

His tongue was hesitant as it glided across her skin. Ruka's fingers closed around the back of Kaname's coat as his fangs slowly bit into her. It definitely hurt, but the pure thrill of it all numbed any pain Ruka was experiencing. And once she heard him drinking her blood, getting every drop he could without spilling, she was in pure ecstasy. A small gasp escaped her lips as he licked her wound shut and brought her face back up to meet his gaze.

"You aren't a shy thinker, Ruka," he said, stroking her ashen blonde hair. "The last time I tasted your blood, you didn't dare place me into any fantasies. Now, they are more plans than dreams. Do you intend to seduce me?"

There was an edge in his voice that told Ruka he was joking, but she couldn't help but blush bright red as he finished. She decided to play along.

"Maybe," she said devilishly, pulling him back down for another kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** As much as I like Kain/Ruka, I love Kaname/Ruka for some twisted reason. And I decided to get a little steamy with them since Kaname doensn't need to commit inscest anymore. Haha. So what do you think this time? It's been a while since I've updated!


	20. Miracle

***About two months later***

Kaname looked up at the budding peach blossoms that lined the courtyard of the Academy. There were so many fond memories of this place, back when everything was simple for everyone. Everyone but him, of course.

His ten year plan to reunite Yuki with her vampire side had been successful, but then backfired in his face, but in a way to his pleasure. Yuki showed him how to go against the status quo and break away from his parents' intentions. Yes, he felt guilty for breaking the Kuran line and not keeping the pureblood gene in the family, but this was his life, and he wanted Ruka in it, pureblood or not.

"Pretty boy loves pretty flowers," said a low feminine voice behind him. Kaname almost groaned at Akane's presence. Every time she opened her mouth, some remark about vampires or anyone she didn't like just rushed from her blood red lips.

"Good god, you're worse than Kiryu," Kaname said, not bothering to turn to acknowledge her presence. "What do you want?"

"Are you going to stay here even after the baby is born?"

Kaname looked down in thought. How _would_ this child be raised with separated parents? Which one of them would take care of him?

His thoughts were interrupted by Akane's chuckle. Although a woman, her voice was low and seductive, and her attire didn't help at all, what with her tight leather pants and jacket over what appeared to be a black camisole.

"Aren't you cold out here?" Kaname asked boldly. "And why are you laughing?"

"It doesn't matter what you will do," Akane replied. "You'll always end up tripping at the finish line, won't you?" Kaname's jaw stiffened. "I mean think about it. You were so close to having Yuki forever and Zero took her away from you. Although I don't care for him much, he does deserve her more than you."

"Damn it, Akane, get out of my sight!" Kaname snapped, the pulses of energy in his mind causing all the blossoms on the trees to explode into thousands of tiny little fibers, followed by the leaves falling off the branches. "Torment me no longer!"

Akane put her hands up in defense and backed up.

"Have it your way," she said, entering the nearest building.

* * *

Akane walked through the halls, pleased that she was able to get under a pureblood's skin. The red lock of hair that she twirled through her fingers looked glossy against the soft candlelight that adorned the hallway. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful.

There was suddenly a struggled cry of pain coming from where Yuki's room was. Akane decided to ignore it at first, assuming the poor girl had woken up from a dream or something. But when she cried out even louder, Akane rolled her eyes and jogged over to the room. The door was closed, but Yuki's cries could be heard clearly through the mahogany wood. Akane knocked softly.

"Yo, Yuki, it's Akane," she said flatly. "What's up?"  
"I feel like I just wet the bed!" Yuki cried. Akane swiftly burst through the door to discover Yuki on the edge of her bed, clutching her swollen belly. Part of her nightgown was stained pink and her face was wet and sweaty, contorted in pain.

"Oh shit," Akane muttered. "I'm no doctor, but I think your water just broke."

Yuki's face changed from surprised to happy to scared and then back to pain in a matter of seconds. She leaned forward as much as she could and clutched her midsection.

"Oh god, that hurts!" she said through her teeth, shutting her eyes tight. Tears started to leak through, not in streams, but just tiny puddles of moisture below her lids, dabbing her lashes. Akane stood there for a second. She had no, repeated, no maternal skills whatsoever.

"K-Kaien!" she stuttered loudly. "Are you around?"

No answer, of course. It was in the middle of the night, if not later. Akane panicked; there was no one around. Yes everyone was back in school, but right now they were all asleep_ and _in the sun dorms. Kaien had placed everyone in the still existing Moon Dorms. That was understandable of course. If news got out that Kaien's daughter that was really a pureblood vampire was back and heavily pregnant, things would not go over well.

"Akane!" Yuki said, drawing out the vowels in her name. "Help!"

Snapped back to reality, Akane surveyed the room. Would she be able to deliver a baby in here if necessary?

No, she didn't know how to deliver a baby at all. Without thinking, she pulled out her gun, labeled _Red Midnight_ and shot it towards the ceiling, causing Yuki to jump and scream.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded.

"Someone has to have heard that," Akane replied. "I can't leave you alone can I?"

"Yes you can! Go find the Headmaster!"

"But you're having the ba-""

"Go!"

Akane stumbled backwards out of the room and headed for the stairway. The door swung open before her, nearly hitting her in the face. Zero practically materialized from the stairway, his expression confused and angry. They both halted before running into each other. Their faces were inches away from each other, both heavily breathing.

"What the hell… are you… doing?" he asked between breaths. "I know… that gunshot... Why were you shooting?"

"To get someone's attention!" said Akane. "I think Yuki is going into labor!"

Whatever color that was in Zero's already pale face completely drained, making him appear dead. He shoved Akane, slamming her against the wall as he ran past her.

"The hell?" she grunted.

"Get help!" he yelled back, turning a sharp corner into Yuki's room. Akane groaned and sped down the stairway and towards the Chairman's office, fiery red hair trailing behind her.

* * *

Zero began to lose the feeling in his fingers as Yuki squeezed his hand, going in and out of contractions. He had one arm around her while she endured the next signs of labor. He had never seen Yuki in this much pain before, and it killed him.

"Hang in there," he whispered, holding her close while she cut off the circulation in his "free" hand. "Just a little longer. We'll get a doctor in here."

As if on cue, the Headmaster burst through the door in frenzy.

"Yuki!" he cried. "Are you hurting? How bad was your water break? Rate your pain on a one to ten with ten being the worst."

Akane smacked Kaien in the back of the head, knocking his glasses off. He shook his head and felt around for his glasses, catching his breath.

"Oh god, ten!" Yuki said, squeezing Zero's hand again. "Definitely ten!"

Tears and sweat dripped down her tiny face, collecting at the collar of her nightgown.

"Someone needs to get the doctor," said Kaien, slowly helping Yuki to her feet. "Akane-"

"I'm on it," she said flatly before running out the door.

"We need to get her to my guest quarters," said Kaien. "Zero do we still have that gurney that we used on the students?"

"You mean that we didn't use on the students?" Zero corrected, remembering when Kaien had raised the medical budget on the school, allowing him to purchase a gurney. It was probably because of the girl that had fallen off the wall trying to see the Night class students. If Zero had not been there to catch her, she might be paralyzed right now.

"Yes, that one," said Kaien under his breath. "Just go get it!"  
Zero glanced back at Yuki, not wanting to leave her side. She gave him a pleading look as if to say, "Please, just go. I'll be fine."

Zero gritted his teeth and left the room, nearly running into Ruka.

"Damn it!" he grunted. "You girls need to make yourselves heard!"

"What's going on?" she asked. "Is Yuki ok?"

"The baby's coming."

Ruka didn't answer back, but instead ran into the room.

"Ok, I've done this before," she said. "All we need to do is get some hot water and- hey! Don't look so surprised."

Kaien and Yuki stared at Ruka in puzzled skepticism; even Zero poked his head back with raised eyebrows.

* * *

Later, in the Headmaster's guestroom, Yuki cried out as another contraction sent shocks of pain up her spine.

"Where the hell is Akane with the doctor?" Zero said angrily. Pulling away the curtains to look outside, a clap of lightning and thunder made him jump back. Soon rain began to pound against the window.

"Well that's great," Zero said under his breath. Ruka kept coaching Yuki through the labor, telling her how to breathe, when to relax, etc. Kaien was repeatedly taking his glasses off and cleaning them on the edge of his night shirt out of nervous habit and Kaname sat on the other side of the room, his head in his hands.

"Ok, all men out of here!" said Ruka. "Except for Kai- no, no you'll just pass out. _Everyone_ leave!"

Out in the hall, Kaien rushed to the bathroom. Zero and Kaname sat on the ground on opposite wall. Kaname's face was drained of color.

"So you're gonna be a dad," said Zero, running his thumb across his fingers. "How does that feel?"

There was a pause after Yuki's scream reached their ears. Kaname dipped his head and sighed.

"Right now, it feels awful," he admitted. "Putting her through this much pain. It makes me feel like… like…"

"A jerk?" Zero asked, raising an eyebrow. "Prick? Bastard? Douchebag?"

"Yes, ok, thank you, Kiryu," Kaname said through his teeth. Yuki's cries became more continuous, occasionally interrupted by Ruka's instructions of either "push" or "breathe". Kaien soon joined the two men and sat with his head between his knees.

"Were you throwing up?" Zero asked. Kaien nodded and moaned.

"I don't do well with this sort of stuff," he said.

"And yet you used to run a school full of bloodthirsty beasts."

Kaname's eyes flashed red for a moment as he glared at Zero. The next few hours were silent, other than the noise behind the door to the guest room.

Akane suddenly burst through the door to the hallway, soaking wet and clutching the arm of an elderly looking man with a briefcase.

"Finally!" Kaien cried, rising to his feet. "My daughter has gone into labor and…"

His voice trailed off as a new sound entered everyone's ears. It pierced through the morning, just as the first streams of the sun peaked through the windows. An infant wail came from behind the door. For a while, that's all everyone did was listen to the baby's cries. Then, Ruka slowly opened the door, the front of her clothing splattered with blood. Her hair was messily put up in a bun and she had a bit of a confused look on her face.

"Shizuka said it was a boy, right?" she asked. Everyone nodded. Ruka pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows together.

"Either she was bluffing, or guessing," she continued. "It's a girl."

Everyone's jaw dropped nearly to the floor. The entire mood of the room completely changed.

"A…a girl?" Kaname said, already out of breath.

"Yes, a healthy baby girl."

The doctor huffed through his mustache and walked past everyone.  
"Let's just see how healthy she is, madam," he said gruffly, entering the room. It was quiet for a while, and then the doctor came back out.

"Alright," he said, snapping his briefcase shut. "I guess you didn't need me after all. You can go in and see them now."

Kaname was the first to his feet and in the room before anyone could blink. Akane and Ruka entered and Kaien was about to go in until he noticed Zero wasn't moving.

"Zero?" he said, leaning down. "Are you coming?"

Zero nodded, his eyes closed shut. His world was about to get more complicated, but somehow, he knew it would either get way better or way worse.

"Yea," he said, standing up. "Give me a sec."

After a moment to catch his breath, Zero entered the room, only to have his breath taken away again. He had never seen a newborn child in person. She had been cleaned up, wrapped up, and placed in her mother's arms. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Yuki looked tired, the sweat had dried on her forehead and she had started crying again, but not from pain.

The child wasn't screaming anymore. She was simply sleeping against her mother's chest, her pink skin gleamed as the sunlight streamed through. Kaname knelt at the bedside, stroking his daughter's tiny head. Her entire body was tiny.

"What's her name?" asked Kaien, his fingers itching for a camera. Yuki's tired face forced a weak smile and she looked down at her daughter.

"I had been thinking of boy names this whole time," she said, a little breathless. "I'm not sure anymore. Something meaningful, yes, but…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. "I think…"

The baby had opened her eyes and both Yuki and Kaname gasped.

"How…impossible..." Yuki pulled the baby up a bit, as if to examine her more closely. Kaname glanced back at Zero, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What?" Zero asked, leaning against the door frame.

"This is no doubt my daughter, but…" he looked back. "Come here, Kiryu."

Kaien had to give Zero a bit of a push before he approached the bed. He leaned over, trying to avoid any contact with Kaname. He stood at the head, looking over Yuki's shoulder and his jaw dropped open as he saw her eyes.

"I know what to name her," she said, stroking the baby's cheek and staring into her eyes. "Airi."

"What does that mean?" asked Akane.

"Well 'Ai' for love," Yuki explained. "And 'ri' for lavender."

"Why?"

"Because of her eyes," Zero finished, staring wide eyed at Airi. The sunlight that leaked through the curtains reflected off little Airi's face, making her eyes sparkle a little. Her light purple eyes.

* * *

**A/N**: The baby's finally here! I don't know why I changed it to a girl, I just felt like it. Sorry this one was so long, and that it took so long to update. Hope you liked it!


	21. Stranger

Airi locked her light purple eyes with the stranger staring down at him. She stared up at him blankly. She didn't know who he was, or even what he was doing. He looked different than Airi's mother. His shoulders were broader and his face was different. All knowledge developing in her young mind was that she was in her mother's arms, staring past her at a stranger looming over her mother's shoulders. Life was completely new to Airi, even as she clung to her mother's pinky with a forceful grip, she still didn't know what was going on. To her, the strangers and her mother started inanely babbling things she did not know the meaning of.

"How is this possible?" asked the man who loomed over Airi's mother. "She's not mine."

Another stranger who knelt at the edge of the bed that also looked different that Airi's mother, but shared some similarities with the other man, other than hair and eyes spoke next.

"Yuki and I do not have any kin with purple eyes," he said, the noise coming from his mouth low and smooth. Airi's wide eyes followed the strangers as they spoke.

"Is it a deformity?" asked Airi's mother, an edge in her voice that Airi recognized as _not good_. The muscles in her mother's body began to stiffen causing worry to fill Airi's body. She started to cry, sensing her mother's worry. Her cries were strangled, squeaky, but not very loud.

"Will someone shut her up," said another stranger who lounged in a nearby chair. Her lips were a similar bold color as her hair. The only real word Airi understood the meaning and structure of: Blood. Her lips were blood red.

Her mother rocked her slightly, making "shhh" noises with her lips and teeth. After a moment, Airi stopped crying and started spewing spit bubbles all over her little pink face.

"I'm a grandpa!" cried one of the strangers who had his hair pulled back and had strange circular, transparent objects in front of his eyes, the same color as the sun rising through the windows outside. Airi stared at the man for a moment, which at this point was crying faucets and cooing over her. There was something about him that told her that he was safe, in fact, he was family.

* * *

"Can we focus on the task at hand?" asked Kaname. "Why do her eyes look like that?"

"Is there something wrong with them?" in chimed Zero.

"I'm just saying this is physically impossible."

"If you don't have a problem with it, why address it?"

Akane stood up and said, "Because it's freakin' weird!"

Airi started to cry again and Yuki sighed.

"Guys, please stop this," she pleaded. "The negativity in the air is barely what I can take. Think about the baby."

"We are," said Kaname. Zero tore his gaze from Airi and glared at him. Airi kept crying. Akane plugged her ears, the Headmaster still cooed in the corner, saying how he wished he had his camera. Ruka stood in front of the window quietly, her eyebrows slightly twitching. An argument broke out between Zero and Kaname while Kaien continued his fanboying over Airi, and Akane kept on telling people to shut up. Airi began to wail louder, the hurt and worry showing on Yuki's face. Without a word, Ruka unfolded her arms and approached Yuki. Everyone fell silent as Ruka cradled Airi in her arms, lifting her from her mother's hold. She began rocking her back and forth and saying things like, "We're all alright. You should be too. No one's fighting. You're safe."

Some of those statements, Zero felt, were directed towards everyone. He hung his head, ashamed that he would act like this in the presence of a newborn.

The air seemed to drop a bit after Airi began to fall asleep in Ruka's arms. Ruka stroked the baby's soft cheek as she dozed off, but before she did, Airi reached up and grabbed a hold of Ruka's long slender finger and fell asleep. Ruka's eyes softly lit up when Airi did this and she couldn't stop staring at the peaceful face.

"You're really good with her," Yuki said, with an edge in her voice no one could really identify.

"Thanks," Ruka said, barely above a whisper. A hint of blush appeared her cheeks and she smiled down at Airi, still fast asleep.

"Now can we get back to the real matter here?" asked Kaname.

"Of what, why our baby is absolutely perfect and healthy and there's nothing wrong with her?" Yuki retorted; her gaze kept towards the foot of the bed. "Not even her eyes?"

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with her eyes. I am merely wondering why-"

"I might know why." Everyone's gaze turned to Cross Kaien as he spoke. "Yuki, you drank Zero's blood, true?" Yuki nodded, avoiding eye contact with Kaname. "How much?"

Yuki shrugged.

"A pretty good amount a good number of times," she answered. "But not nearly as much as he did from me."

"That was when you were human though," Kaien said with an edge in his voice. "What I am getting at is that maybe after drinking so much of Zero's blood while carrying Airi, his blood nourished her so much that it altered her appearance. It's a stretch, but I've seen one other case like this a long time ago."

"That seems like a reasonable explanation," said Yuki, huffing out an exhausted breath.

"Why don't we let Yuki rest," Ruka said, tearing her gaze from Airi. "She's been through enough tonight, and for the past nine months. A good day _and _night's rest is what she really needs."

Yuki smiled thankfully at Ruka who smiled back.

"I'll take care of Airi while you sleep," Ruka said. Yuki nodded and the Headmaster began shooing everyone out of the room. Akane left willingly, as did Ruka, but not before allowing Yuki to kiss Airi's bald little head. Kaname gazed at Yuki uncomfortably, and then at Zero.

"May I have a word with you first?" he asked. "Just for a minute."

Yuki looked at Kaien and then at Zero and nodded.

"It can't hurt," she said. Zero squeezed Yuki's shoulder and stuffing his hands in his pockets, walked out of the room, followed by Cross Kaien. It had been a while since Yuki had been able to look Kaname straight on without the awkwardness weighing down her gaze.

He stood up straight with the best posture, arms folded across his chest. His charcoal brown hair falling in front of his maroon eyes and down to his shoulders would look sloppy on anyone else, but not him. He sat down at the edge of the bed and gently took Yuki's hand.

"Listen to me," he said. "We may have gone our separate ways so to speak, but there will always be one thing that ties us together."

"Airi," Yuki whispered.

"Exactly…" His eyes grew weary. "Yuki, I am so sorry for what I did to you. None of this should have-"

"No!" Yuki snapped, wrenching her hand from his grasp. "Don't you dare say it shouldn't have happened. Kaname, the moment I learned I was carrying your child I was scared to death, but I was not planning on backing out. I wasn't going to take the 'easy' way out." Kaname's eyes furrowed together in a hint of confusion. "Oni-san, the moment I laid eyes on our little girl, I loved her. I don't care how she was conceived."

Kaname winced in shame. His gaze drifted downward, but Yuki grabbed his face and made him look back up.

"I love Airi," she whispered. "No, we can't change the past, but we can move on from the painful memories in order to create new beautiful ones. Airi will grow up deeply loved by you, me, and everyone else around her." She smiled. "Especially by her grandfather."

Kaname closed his eyes and chuckled softly. Yuki let her hands fall into her lap and she took a deep breath.

"We can start over fresh with her," said Kaname. "We can raise her our way; we won't force her onto what our parents…"

His voice trailed off for a moment as he realized they wouldn't have to force her to do anything their parents forced them to do. Airi had no pureblood siblings, and never would. He and Yuki were not engaged any longer. There would be no more Kuran children, not pureblood at least.

"I know," Yuki replied. "I know." She leaned back against the stack of pillows at the head of the bed. "Just… can I go to sleep now? If we need to talk anymore, you'll be here when I wake up, right?"

Kaname took Yuki's hand once more and briefly pressed it to his lips.

"Yes, little sister," he whispered, backing away towards the door. "I will."

* * *

Shizuka Hio pranced through the open Cross Academy gates. She flipped her silver hair behind her shoulders and inhaled deeply through her nose.

"The baby is born," she said to herself. "Good."

Surprisingly, the infant smell was strongly feminine. It was a girl? Oh well; Shizuka was still getting used to her nearly limitless powers. Sometimes it played tricks with her senses, making things appear not as they were, such as the gender of a tiny baby in the womb.

"No matter," she whispered, gliding across the cobblestone walkway. The students were all in bed now. Night had passed and the treasure Shizuka was looking for was located in the "abandoned" Moon Dorm. She strained her ears to listen for other beings that might get in the way of her operation. She heard the soft, rhythmic breathing of Yuki, asleep in a separate room. From the way the sound of her breath bounced off the walls, it sounded as if the door was closed as well. Shizuka could also see that from the window, but it was more fun to use her ridiculous hearing skills.

The Headmaster and Kaname were in his office, occasionally exchanging awkward small talk. Zero and Akane were lounging in the kitchen, trying to avoid contact of all sorts, physical, verbal, etc. Ruka walked up and down an otherwise empty hallway, carrying the tiny infant in her arms. A soft lullaby drifted from her lips, bouncing off the walls.

Deep red lips stretched over fanged teeth as Shizuka grinned and licked her lips in anticipation. She would carry out her plan, herself. This way, no one could screw it up. She stood on her tiptoes, staring into the room where Yuki was sound asleep.

The time was not right yet. Shizuka pursed her lips and ran her finger along the glass window for a moment before vanishing in a fury of feathers that drifted to the ground and disappeared.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm about to start school Monday so it may take a bit longer to update my stories. But I already have the next few chapters planned out, which may or may not be a good thing to you guys, seeing as how the story is going in the rough draft.

**EXTRA SPECIAL AWESOME** thanks (and **CREDIT**) goes to _**Wishing Rose **_for giving me the idea of how Airi got her purple eyes (absorbing Zero's blood that Yuki drank. Booya, great idea _**Wishing Rose**_). Stay tuned for the next chapter! I love you all!


	22. His Eyes

The two days it took for Yuki to be able to get out of bed and walk around would have astonished the doctor if he had still been around. But thankfully, he wasn't. About a week later, Yuki's pureblood body felt rejuvenated with youth as she walked among the bare trees of the Moon Dorm courtyard. Her heightened ears detected the laughter and murmuring of the Day class, shuffling from class to class on the other side of the Cross Academy property.

_"Don't push!"_

_"For goodness sake, Yori, keep up!"_

_"Say that one more time, Class Rep and I'll knock your glasses off!"_

_"Come on guys, we're going to be late for class!"_

All the voices of her former classmates echoed across the property and into Yuki's ears. She wondered if Airi, who was swaddled tightly in warm blankets and a hat in Yuki's arms could hear them too.

"I wonder what Yori would think of you," Yuki said to her baby. "She would probably go on about how she's an 'aunt'." She looked back up. "Or she would keep to her same monotone self. That would be more like her."

"You're right."

Yuki turned to see Zero leaning casually against one of the naked trees of the courtyard. He wasn't looking at her; of course it was kind of hard to tell because his head was dipped low, his silver hair falling in front of his face.

He opened the case of blood tablets he had in his hand and poured the contents into his mouth, dipping his head back. The winter morning sun shone on his pale skin and hair. Everything else was covered up by his long brown trench coat buttoned up to his neck and black pants with brown boots underneath.

"Why are you taking those again?" asked Yuki, walking towards him. Zero put up a hand signaling her to stop.

"I'm so freakin' thirsty," he answered quietly. "And I don't want to take any more of your blood right now."

Yuki frowned and approached him until she found herself leaning against the same tree as he, her shoulder touching his arm as she cradled little Airi in her arms.

"Is that it?" she asked. "Or is there something more?"

Zero didn't answer.

"And I can tell when you're lying."

Zero groaned.

"Come on, Zero. Just tell me. We've been through so much together."

"Not as much as some people."

Zero gave Airi a side-glance as she cooed and tried to wriggle her way out of her cocoon of warmth.

"She likes to talk," said Yuki, patting the top of the bundle. "She's trying to talk to you."

"How can she talk if she doesn't know any words?" Zero asked dully.

"Like this!"

Yuki turned Airi towards her and began to make _ooh_ and _aah_ noises at a high and bubbly pitch. Airi smiled a toothless pink smile and began to wail back gleefully. Zero raised an eyebrow at the two as they continued their "conversation" for about a minute and then Yuki began to laugh and repositioned Airi in her arms.

"See?" she said. "You don't have to know words to have a meaningful conversation with someone."

Zero an almost distasteful glance at the baby as she continued to gaze at him with her big, icy violet eyes, almost hidden under the pink wool hat she wore. She managed to wriggle one chubby arm from her bundle and reached out for Zero. Yuki groaned and sat down on a nearby bench to re-swaddle her baby in the blanket. Zero slowly followed her and sat down silently, watching Yuki wrap Airi's arms tightly in away from the cool rigid air.

"She likes to move," Zero said slowly. Yuki nodded and giggled shortly before rocking Airi, finally re-wrapped up, back and forth. Airi refused to fall asleep, her eyes drooping for a split second and then shooting back open as she cooed upward at Zero.

"Do you want to hold her?" Yuki asked casually. Zero tore his gaze from the baby's eyes and locked on Yuki's smiling face. Zero took a deep breath and bit his lip.

"No," he said bluntly, turning away. He lowered his head and hid behind his silver bangs, the only way he could escape everything except for the view of the ground, which he blocked out by closing his eyes.

His eyes shot open as he felt a weight in his lap and saw Yuki's hand steadying Airi in her little bundle, peering up through the tunnel of hair. Airi looked up at him, eyes wide with curiosity. Her tiny mouth created a tiny "o" and her breath created tiny puffs of cloud that warmed the tip of Zero's nose.

"Why don't you want to hold her?" asked Yuki. Zero continued to stare at the baby in his lap, petrified by her purple gaze.

"She's not mine," he said shakily. "She's Kaname's."

"Ruka didn't seem to have a problem with it."

"That's doesn't matter."

"Can you honestly look at her and say that?"

"Yes."

"Obviously."

"Zero, she has _your_ eyes. I don't care how-"

"Yuki, stop. I know you wish she was mine, but she's not, no matter how much of my blood she has absorbed, she's not mine. She'll never be mine."

Slowly, Airi disappeared from Zero's hair tunnel of vision, back into Yuki's arms.

"And I don't even want kids," he concluded. "That's one reason why I'm trying to wean myself off your blood. If by chance you... if you have another baby. I don't want it resembling me. It's almost as bad as it actually being mine."

"What?"

"You heard me." He looked back up at Yuki who was now frowning. "Yuki, I don't want someone like me continuing to live through this world. Do you know how bad that would be? A former human child? Has that even been done?"

"So you're saying you don't want Airi to live through this world?" Yuki said.

"No that's-"

Zero cut himself off. He huffed out a forceful breath and leaned his chin in his hands, hunching over.

"Airi. Is. Not. My. Daughter," said Zero.

"Maybe she wants to be."

"How do you know what she wants?"

Airi cooed again and started to squirm out of her bundle. Zero groaned.

"Will you make her stop already?" he asked. "All her wailing and moving is giving me a headache."

"She's a baby, Zero. She can't help it."

"Well I can."

Zero placed his left hand down on the top of the blanket, pressing down gently to still Airi's movements. She continued to fight to move and eventually forced one arm out again.

"Not ag-"

Zero was cut off as Airi's tiny hand grabbed onto his long index finger. The warmth from her skin penetrated Zero's icy exterior. He was once again locked in her hypnotic purple gaze as she once more toothlessly smiled and tried to talk to him. He gently tried to pull away but Airi held on fast.

"She's s-strong," Zero stuttered. Impulsively his thumb began to caress the top of Airi's little hand as she continued to hold onto his finger.

"You _were _the first person she saw," Yuki whispered. Zero didn't respond. Yuki smiled and slowly inched Airi's bundle into Zero's hesitant arms, Airi still clinging to his finger. His other arm cradled the baby fearful that he might drop her. He couldn't stop staring at her as her eyes began to droop and then close, and her breathing slowed to the steady rhythm of sleep, but her grip did not cease.

"We should go inside," said Yuki. "I don't want to rearrange her right now."

Zero just nodded silently and, without taking his eyes off Airi, followed Yuki back into the Moon Dorm.

_Her eyes_, he thought. _She has _my_ eyes. My eyes…_

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys! I missed you all! Did you miss me? School's been a pain in the butt and it's taken all my precious time that I could be using to write (I'm actually supposed to be writing a paper right now but I'm taking a 'break'). Don't think this chapter is a filler or anything. I wanted to tap into Zero's conflict with Airi not being his, or more rather being Kaname's. Plus I wanted Airi to grab his finger, hehe. :-)


	23. Snowstorm

_Why does this feel weird? It shouldn't…maybe it's because it's been a while. I'm nervous. It might also be because anyone could walk in on us at anytime._

"Yuki?" Zero said, breaking their long kiss. "Do you not want to do this?"

"This" of course was no more than heavy kissing on Zero's bed.

"Yuki?" Zero repeated. "It's alright if you don't want to."

The bed creaked beneath Yuki as Zero shifted, moving from over her to lying by her side, pulling her close.

"Maybe," Yuki started. "Maybe I wouldn't have such a problem with it if I wasn't so nervous of someone coming in."

"Yuki, listen. Kaname and Ruka have Airi for the day and Akane is probably off in town drinking or something. The Headmaster knows we're spending time together, so I'm sure he's giving us privacy. I'm not going to do anything more than kiss you. You're still in a delicate state after giving birth, despite…"

Zero trailed off, his fingers twitching on the small of Yuki's back.

"Despite the fact that I'm a pureblood?" Yuki finished. For a long time there was no response.

"Yea." Zero's voice was so low and quiet Yuki almost didn't hear him. She felt guilt swell up in her.

"You know I'm not right for you right?" he continued. "I'm not saying Kaname is either but I'm certainly not."

Yuki sat up and looked over at Zero. He wasn't looking at her again. His eyes lingered on the wall. There was very little light in the room, but Yuki could see his frown and furrowed eyebrows. She began to giggle, and then laugh, which got Zero suddenly curious.

"What the- Yuki why are you laughing? I was serious."

"I know," she said between laughs. "The thing is do you always have to interrupt a good moment with a negative comment? I think it's become a habit for you, maybe even an escape route."

Zero had never thought of that before, but maybe she was right. Nearly every happy moment they had, he had to go and think of some way to depress it. He had to stop that.

Before he could respond, Yuki moved over him to where each knee was planted firmly on each side of his waist and her hands supporting her up over Zero's head.

"You shouldn't say such things, Zero," she said, lowering herself inches from his face. "Because no matter what happens, I'll always love you; you'll always be my best friend- and more."

Zero wanted to say something nice back, but Yuki leaned down and tenderly kissed him before he got the chance. At first, it was short, a peck or two. Then Yuki began to weave one hand into Zero's hair as she supported herself on her arms. She began running her fingers through his hair over and over. Zero moaned quietly.

"Mm- that feels good," he whispered. "I know why you girls like it so much."

Yuki giggled softly, leaned down, and began to trace the line of his throat with her lips, causing Zero to shiver a little. But she didn't bite him. She just gently kissed up until right before she reached his lips and stopped right at the corner of his mouth.

"Tease," Zero said lowly. Quickly and smoothly, he worked his hand up towards Yuki's waist and softly poked her in the side, causing her to jump slightly and he caught her lips, holding her tiny waist in his big hands. He smoothly and as carefully as he could, rolled over her, supporting himself up by his arms, now up by Yuki's head, and never broke the kiss. His tongue traced the line of Yuki's lips, making _her_ shiver now. She smiled and parted her lips, pulling his head down with her fingers braided firmly in his silver hair.

Truly, this was the farthest they had ever gone. Yuki felt as if her heart was going to explode. It was difficult to see, but Zero felt the same way.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips. Yuki felt tears well up behind her eyelids because she finally knew he was being genuine about it. He wasn't doubtful; he wasn't worried of her returning the feelings because she didn't hesitate to say, "I love you too," back.

Yuki's head spun and her skin felt hot against Zero's. She moved her hands down his back and then around to his chest up through his shirt, feeling the cool skin beneath the white cotton.

"Mm- careful," Zero said, pulling away slightly; he pulled one of her hands out. "I don't want us to get carried away."

Yuki almost whimpered and dropped her hands to her stomach, which still felt weird being so flat.

"What if I do?" she asked.

"What? Five seconds ago you were nervous someone might come in, and now you're completely turned on?" Zero raised his eyebrows. "Maybe those pregnancy hormones haven't receded yet."

Yuki playfully smacked Zero in the chest and giggled a little.

"I would think you would like that, being a guy," she said sticking out her tongue. Zero rolled his eyes.

"I love you just the way you are," he replied. "Even if this is all we can do."

He leaned down and kissed her again. Yuki pulled him down again and lightly licked the base of Zero's throat. She flipped them over again and bit down gently. Zero winced once and then laid there as Yuki sipped in his warm minty blood. She searched through his thoughts and frowned to herself but proceeded to lick the holes shut and then went back up to kiss him again.

_Liar,_ she thought disappointedly. _You want to do more, and you know it._

* * *

"Haha, no Kaname. You don't hold her like that," Ruka said, trying to keep from laughing. "_Cradle_ her in your arms, and make sure the crook of your elbow is supporting her head up. You don't want to jerk her head around when you're walking or something. And keep one hand on the side- yea like that. You got it!"

Kaname smiled softly as he finally mastered how to hold his baby girl. He rocked her a little and stared at the sleeping Airi with an even wider smile.

"Haha," Ruka laughed. "I've never seen you smile this wide. It looks a little weird on you. You're normally so stoic all the time."

"Well you don't usually laugh this much, so don't go observing undiscovered characteristics." Kaname's voiced softened. "I have, after all, never been a father before."

Ruka smiled and lightly caressed Airi's little cheek with the back of her index finger. She was indeed a beautiful baby.

"I wonder-" She cut herself off suddenly.

"What?"

"I don't know if you want to hear it."

"Ruka, just tell me."

"I wonder what her hair color will be."

Kaname's smile dropped and his eyes lost the bit of sparkle that he had when he was looking at Airi's sleeping face. A light breeze blew the tree branches outside, causing them to scrape against the window. It was like fingernails to a chalkboard to Kaname.

"I wouldn't be surprised," he said, trying to block out the piercing noise, "if her hair turned out to be silver. I mean her eyes already look like _his._"

"True," Ruka agreed. "But her skin tone isn't nearly as pale as Zero's. His is practically white. You and Yuki both have a little more color. Usually babies are naturally pale, but Airi _does_ have your complexion, and who knows? She might grow out of purple, like human babies grow out of blue."

Airi awoke as the wind blew harder and caused the branches to scrape even harder. She began to cry and Kaname started to inwardly panic.

"What should I do?" he asked as calmly as he could. Ruka just smiled, took Airi from his arms, and stood up. She walked around the room, gently bouncing the bundled baby in her arms, whispering comforting words to her. The wind blew even harder, and the scraping grew louder.

"Is there supposed to be a snow storm today?" Ruka asked, peering out the window, which had become almost completely blinding with white snow furiously blowing around. She got closer to the window to try to see out, but she couldn't hear it; she couldn't even see it.

But Kaname could hear _and _see it.

At first it was a light crackling noise, and then cracking like ice. Then tiny cracks began to climb up and reach down from the boarders of the window, faster than normal. Kaname was not making it happen. As the cracks became more visible, Ruka began to notice.

But it was too late.

As Ruka turned from the window to shield Airi, the glass completely shattered and the furious winds outside pushed the shards inward, spreading throughout the room and burying in Ruka's back. She screamed and fell to her knees into some more shards, still holding Airi. She cried out for Kaname, who was at her side immediately, also shielding her and Airi from the needle-like shards of ice that were now blowing in as if directed by an intelligent force.

"What's going on?" Ruka asked, gritting her teeth. Blood began to run down the side of her face from where glass had got her. Kaname was unable to answer, too busy trying to block out the stinging pains that shot into his back every second. Then a sudden burst of wind threw all of them forward. Ruka was able to twist herself onto her side so Airi still remained unscathed, even as they hit the glass and ice spiked floor.

Kaname's vision began to run fuzzy. He had never in his life experienced such power. This could only be done by a pureblood.

There was an abrupt stop to everything. The wind halted, and the ice fell to the floor. But in place of nature's battle cry, there came a little girl's light-hearted cackle.

"I'm back," rang out a sing-songy voice. Airi was screaming and thrashing in Ruka's arms, refusing to calm down. Kaname tried to stand up, only to be pelted with another fury of ice, reopening his quickly healing cuts.

In the windowsill, another gust of snow and wind blew in, and then there stood Maria-Shizuka, standing on her tip toes and smiling as she licked her blood red lips.

"I just have to pick up a few things; I won't be long," she said lightly. There was another gust of wind and snow, but it was directed towards Ruka and Airi, and they were enveloped in a twister of white. Every time Kaname tried to move, he was pelted down once more by ice. Ruka's blood curdling shrieks leaked from the twister and then suddenly everything was silent and still.

Maria-Shizuka was gone, and Kaname was able to rise but stumble over to Ruka who lay on the ground. Her hands and arms were violently gashed open, profusely bleeding, and completely empty.

Airi was gone.

* * *

**A/N:** I bet I'm pissing you guys off with so many cliff hangers, but hey this is how I planned the story to go. You guys are going to hate me, and that's all I'm saying. _**No predicting!**_ I forbid it, haha.


	24. Two for One

Yuki walked down the halls of the Moon Dorm after spending some time with Zero. He walked beside her, one cautions hand on her back. Yuki wasn't having trouble walking or anything, but she didn't mind his touch. She found it comforting after all she had been through.

"I wonder how Kaname is handling being a dad," said Zero with a light smirk. "Can't wait to see him when Airi is a teenager."

Yuki stopped dead in her tracks. She hadn't even thought about Airi growing up. She was only a few weeks old; there wasn't much to her other than purple eyes, a bald head, and some baby fat, but nothing else. No adolescent drama, no boy trouble, nothing. Just a loudly cooing, and sometimes crying baby.

"You just scared me there, Zero," said Yuki, shaking her head. "It's way too early to be talking about those years."

Zero chuckled.

"You're scared?" he asked. "Which would you be more afraid of: Airi's personality turning out to be like Kaname's or mine?"

_Now there's a trick question_, Yuki thought. _Kaname has such a – well – lack of a personality other than noble and stolid. But Zero has had so much angst… well not so much lately, but still._

"Is it conceited to hope she will act like me?" Yuki said with a mischievous smile. Zero took her hand, pulled her against his chest, kissed her for a moment, and then said, "I think she'll be her own person."

Yuki smiled for real and laid her head against Zero's chest.

"That sounds good."

Something that sounded like glass shattering brought Yuki back down from cloud nine. She glanced at Zero, and then at the scent of Kaname and Ruka's blood, bolted down the hallway.

"Yuki!" cried Zero, taking off after her. The room Kaname and Ruka had been staying in was closed, but there came the sound of wind blowing throughout the room. Yuki tried to open the door, but it was locked. She banged on the hard wood, and when she heard Ruka scream, she felt herself tear up. Zero came up behind her, trying to open the door. He kicked and kicked and kicked but to no avail, the door would not budge. All of a sudden, everything was silent, except for Ruka's moans of pain. Finally, Zero managed to kick open the door, completely unhinging it from the frame.

"Airi!" Kaname cried, staring at Ruka's bleeding empty hands. Yuki's eyes widened in horror at the state of the room and the absence of her baby; snow covered every exposed surface. Ice crystals and glass were pegged into the walls and even the overturned door, and Kamane's back.

"What happened?" Yuki asked, her voice already breaking. Kaname looked up, an unfamiliar look of desperation on his face.

"Maria," he said. "She took Airi!"

Yuki let out a horrified squeal and covered her mouth. She furiously looked around the room, and seeing the open window, immediately ran towards it.

"Yuki!" Zero cried, trying to reach her to pull her back in. "Yuki, come back!"

It was too late; Yuki had already jumped from the window. She landed in the soft snow and broke out into a run.

"Shizuka!" Yuki screamed into the darkness. "You bitch! Come back and face me! Give me back my baby!"

She started to cry, hot tears spilling over her cheeks. Zero came from behind and held onto Yuki to keep her from falling to her knees.

"_Come back and face me!_" she cried again. "You bitch! You monster! Come back!"  
A chilling giggle traveled through the air and then a gust of wind and snow blew across the courtyard. Yuki and Zero had to cover their eyes, and when they opened them. Airi was laying in a heap of snow, screaming and crying, trying to squirm from her bundle.

"Airi!" Yuki screamed. She wrenched herself from Zero's desperate grip and ran towards her daughter, falling to her knees to pick her up from the ground. Zero looked around. His tattoo ached and another chilled giggle echoed in the air. From the corner of his eye, he could see another gust of wind and snow forming.

"Yuki move!" Zero cried, running towards her. "It's a trap!"

As the words left his lips, he was blown off his feet and onto his back, knocking the breath from his lungs.

"You stupid little girl!" cried the wind, enveloping Yuki in a whirlwind of snow. Yuki swatted at the ice crystals cutting at her face. She pressed Airi's exposed face to her chest, shielding her from the cutting needles that swarmed around her.

"Zero!" Yuki screamed. Maria-Shizuka appeared in the snow, her blood red lips standing out against the white.

"Two for one," she said lightly. "I got a good deal."

There was a sudden gunshot and blood splattered out of Maria-Shizuka's shoulder. She screamed and clutched her arm. The whirlwind died down a bit, but only enough to see Zero trying to regain his breath and Akane holding her fired gun, _Red Midnight._ She trembled in the cold without her jacket, her fiery hair billowing behind her in the wind. But that was it; the whirlwind consumed Yuki and Airi once more and then Yuki blacked out.

* * *

"Damn it!" cried Akane, roughly holstering her gun. "She got away!"  
Zero had gotten up by now and was furiously looking around. His eyes began to change to a red hue, but not out of blood lust.

From sheer unadulterated fury.

"No!" Kaname cried, arriving at the empty courtyard. "Yuki!"  
Ruka covered her mouth in worry. Akane pouted for missing Maria's heart, and Zero kicked the snow where Maria had stood, kicking up a loose cobblestone in the process. He continued to kick it until he felt his toes start to bleed underneath his shoes.

"Why!" he yelled. "Every damn time! Why can't I kill her?"

He yelled at the top of his lungs and kicked a loose mound of snow.

"Yuki," he moaned, burying his face in his hands.

* * *

Yuki awoke on her back on a cold marble slab. She dizzily glanced around her. It looked as if she were in a sanctuary. Her ankles and wrists were chained to the alter she laid on. For some reason, she was now dressed in a silky white dress with small straps and a flower petal cut skirt. She started to panic, trying to yank the chains from the slab. She knew she could do it. She was a pureblood, nothing could stop her. Then a sudden shock ran through her body when the chain stiffened.

"Ah!" she cried, her back arching as the pain shot through her. A small giggle came from the corner of the echoic sanctuary. Yuki looked around until she saw Maria-Shizuka step from the shadows, holding Airi in her arms. Yuki flailed around even more, causing the shocks to come more frequently and more painfully, but Yuki didn't care. She had to get to Airi.

"Those are anti-vampire chains. The more you struggle, the weaker you'll become," said Maria-Shizuka. "And with what's going to happen to you, it would be better if you were a little feistier."

Yuki's eyes widened in horror as she spotted the intricately designed ivory knife on Maria-Shizuka's belt. A small whimper escaped her lips and she stared at Airi, sound asleep in the arms of another.

"Oh this thing?" Maria-Shizuka said lightly, glancing down at the knife. "That's not for you."

She slowly rocked Airi back and forth.

"I've got something better planned for you."

Yuki felt tears spring to her eyes.

"No! No, please," she begged. "Don't hurt Airi. Kill me! Please, take me instead. Stab me, torture me, whatever. Just don't hurt my baby!"  
Maria-Shizuka laughed and walked around the marble altar to a smaller altar that sat a level higher than Yuki. A tiny chest lay opened, and in the velvet cushion, laid a vial of what appeared to be blood. Maria-Shizuka laid Airi on the cold marble table and reached for the knife at her belt.

"My love, Rido," she whispered, clutching the knife to her heart. "Soon, soon we will be together again."

Tears streamed down Yuki's face as she struggled against the shocking chains and screamed, "Please no! Don't do this! My baby! Kill me, please, kill me! Leave her alone!"  
Maria raised the knife above her head and Yuki shrieked, "_Airi!"_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **Mwehehe, are you guys getting tired of cliffhangers?


	25. Resurrection

**Warning: **Some language in this one.

* * *

Zero pinned Akane to the wall forcefully. Akane wrestled against his weight as he held her against the wall.

"Give me the keys now!" he yelled in her face. Akane tried to kick him between the legs, but he just planted his knee on her stomach.

"Bite me!" she said through her teeth, blowing a lock of hair from her face. Zero growled in his throat.

"Guess we're going to have to do this the hard way," he said. He took both of Akane's wrists in one of his big hands, pinned them above her head and dug down in her pants pockets.

"You pervert!" she screamed. "Isn't anyone going to do something?"

Kaname stood back, almost enjoying what he was watching. Ruka sat in a corner; head in her hands, feeling the uttermost guilt for letting Maria-Shizuka take Airi. The Headmaster seemed unaffected.

"Face it!" Akane said as Zero continued to search her. "She's gone! You guys try so hard to protect her but really it's hopeless. Just let her go, she's too much trouble."

Zero punched Akane in the stomach, causing her to let out a loud "oof!"

"I have a policy against hitting girls," he said lowly. "But you're more like a single-celled organism."

"Big words for a leech," Akane said, trying to catch her breath. Zero smirked and pulled Akane's van keys from her back pocket.

"Guess putting them back there wasn't the best strategy," he said, jingling the keys in her face. "I have no shame."

He let Akane go and said, "Who's coming?"

Everyone but Akane raised their hand and followed Zero down the hall. Akane stood frustrated, patting herself down. Her _Red Midnight _was gone.

"You bastard!" she yelled down, running after them. "Give me back my gun!"

Zero waved it behind his head playfully and everyone disappeared down the stairs. Akane pulled out a cell phone and pressed one button.

"Katsu?" she said, walking swiftly down the stairs. "Let's get the band back together. We're going hunting again."

"What's goin' on?" Akane heard Goggle's over the phone. "Katsu, is that Akane? Tell her I said hi!"

"OK, where do you want us to meet you?" asked Katsu. Akane groaned and almost yelled into the phone, "Just get Goggles to track the freakin' phone!"

And she hung up. When the engine of the van revved outside, Akane burst through the door into the frigid air and banged on the driver's seat. Zero glared at her.

"I'm driving!" she yelled through the glass. Zero shook his head and pointed with his thumb to the back seat. Kaname was already in the passenger's seat, slightly smirking, but his lips snapped back to a worried frown as he tried to sense Yuki's presence anywhere near, even smelled for her blood.

"Do we even know where we're going?" asked Akane as they sped away from the Academy.

"I think I have an idea," said Zero, clenching the steering wheel. "Ruka how did you get to the cathedral last time?"

Ruka thought for a moment and then her eyes shot wide.

"Turn left now!" she cried out. The van's wheels screeched and went up on one side as Zero made the sharp turn.

"Let's not do that again!" the Headmaster yelled from the back, squished into Ruka who was pressed against the side of the van. Akane straightened her hair and stuck her middle finger up at Zero who saw it in the mirror.

Zero recognized the road he was on as the one he took to the inn that he had stayed at for so long while trying to get a lead on Yuki's last disappearance. A quick glance in his rear view mirror, he saw Akane on the phone with someone. She suddenly yelled, "Stop!"

Zero's foot instinctively slammed on the breaks just as Hiroki appeared from the side of the road in the millions of snow flurries that stuck to his skin and gray hair. Katsu waved his hand and Goggles appeared behind him sporting a hitchhiker's thumb.

"Are you kidding?" Zero groaned as the trio went around to the back.

"Well the last rescue mission wasn't exactly permanent," said Akane. "Don't you want to finish this once and for all?"

Zero scowled and submitted, allowing Akane to open the door in the back and Katsu and Goggles climbed in. Hiroki didn't look as if he was going to fit in, so he closed the door and climbed on top, causing the ceiling to droop the lightest bit.

"Is he going to stay up there?" asked Ruka, nervously looking up.

"He has handles up there," said Goggles. "I installed them myself."

He grinned with pride, but then fell back against Akane as Zero floored the gas pedal.

A while later, the van screeched to a halt and Hiroki leaped off the front, almost landing on the hood. Everyone piled out as fast as they could. Kaname inhaled deeply; catching the scent of a dozen level E's rushing out of the underground hallways, and soon saw them appear from the cathedral doors.

"Damn it, I don't need this!" Zero said loudly, drawing out the _Bloody Rose_. He immediately shot one level E through the head, and then the one next to that one fell to the ground by Akane's _Red Midnight._

"Truce?" she asked, pulling back the hammer. Zero nodded and shot another level E. More kept coming, and suddenly, a faint scream from underground caused everyone's blood run cold.

"Yuki!" cried Kaname. Just as Katsu nailed two vampires at the same time, Kaname pushed him aside and his eyes flashed purple for a moment. A split second of silence went by and then all the heads of the level E's exploded into bursts of sand and the bodies disintegrated into the snow they stood on.

"That made things simpler," said Akane, blowing on the tip of her gun. Zero was the first inside the cathedral, desperately looking for an entrance to the tunnels beneath him. Ruka ran past him and stopped at the altar. She overturned it and then pulled open a trap door that lay underneath it.

"Go!" she shouted. Zero leaped down, and stood clueless at the end of a hallway of doors. Akane landed next to Zero, took a look down the hall, and then muttered, "Well shit."

Zero looked around wildly; sweat breaking out on his brow. Which door?

Another scream broke through the sound of Zero's pounding heart. He followed the scream, and then broke into a sprint when the scent of blood stung his nostrils, but it wasn't Yuki's blood. A sickening horror filled his head and he pulled back the hammer of the _Bloody Rose_.

The scream and scent of blood came from the double door at the end. Zero kicked it open. He almost dropped his gun at the horrifying sight before him. Yuki lay unconscious on an altar, chained down by cuffs that buzzed with electricity. Her wrist sizzled as they healed up from the shock burning away her skin.

"Yu-" Zero stopped short as Maria-Shizuka turned from her previous position. Blood dribbled down her lips and her fanged grin shown through white against red. She held a white ivory knife that was also stained with blood. From behind Maria-Shizuka, a tiny, pink, limp hand stuck out a pile of bloody cloth across the tiny altar.

"Airi!" Zero choked, forcing back the urge to wretch; his finger trembled on the trigger, unable to shoot his master and creator. "You! You bitch!"

Maria-Shizuka giggled and licked up the blood around her lips. She suddenly dropped the knife and it shattered on the ground.

"Too late," she said, her eyes starting to glow red and purple. "It's all over now."

A bright flash came from her eyes and then from the chest behind her. Zero had to shield his eyes and he felt someone bump into the back of him. Akane grunted and turned away from the light. When the light faded, Zero looked up and gaped at the sight, staring into a pair of familiar eyes, one crimson, and one violet.

"Why hello Kiryu," said Rido Kuran, long fangs protruding from his wide grin. "And Kaname, my nephew! It's so good to see you!"

Zero glanced back to see Kaname frozen in his steps. Akane pointed her gun, trembling as well.

"Who's this guy?" she said, trying to hide her fear. Kaname cried out in pain as he finally spotted Airi's tiny hand protruding from the blood drenched bundle.

"Airi!" he cried. "No!"

He tried to run forward, but he suddenly froze. His limbs went stiff as did Zero's and Akane. Maria-Shizuka's eyes glowed as she stopped everyone in their tracks.

"We can't have you ruining Rido's first meal in a two years," she said lightly. She turned to Rido with a slightly pleading look on her face.

"Now my love?" she asked, touching his muscular arm lightly. Rido turned to her and gently touched her forehead. Another blinding flash filled the room just as Kaien had reached the end of the hall. The next thing he was both enchanting and horrifying.

Shizuka stood completely in her original form, as beautiful as ever. Her peach colored eyes sparkled in glee as she gazed outstretched her arm. She sighed and kissed Rido.

"Thank you my love," she said, her voice now deep and seductive. "Now you may feast."

"With pleasure," Rido replied, licking his lips. Zero struggled to move, forced to watch Rido approach Yuki, who still lay unconscious on the altar. Suddenly, Shizuka's head snapped back and blood spurted from the back of her head. Everyone fell to the ground as their limbs loosened and glancing back, Akane saw Katsu quickly reload his rifle. Hiroki dashed down the hall, knocking over a flower vase with his hulking mass. He pulled Akane to her feet and then Shizuka stood up again, the bullet still in her head.

"I suppose you forgot that my head has to be off!" she said, cackling. She dug her nails into her forehead and pulled out the bullet.

"Will someone shoot them in the dman heart!" cried Akane, trying to reload her pistol. Rido was distracted for a moment by Shizuka's injury, but realized the urgency of the situation and his eyes flashed. Zero's gun began to burn red hot in his hands and he dropped it quickly.

"Kaname do something!" Zero cried. Kaname was frozen at the sight of his uncle.

"I can't!" he said. "He's my master. I can't kill him."

Hiroki drew his enormous sword and charged. The force of Rido's mental command caused Hiroki to fly back and hit the wall just above the door.

"He's too powerful!" said Kaien, trying to wake Hiroki up from falling unconscious. They all looked up in fear as Rido began to laugh at their weak attempt to defeat him once more.

* * *

Yuki felt herself swimming in a sea of pain. Electric shocks surrounded her and all the while she knew her daughter was dying. She heard thunder crash above her and her blood boiled against her weakness.

_Wake up_, she ordered herself. _Wake up!_

Her eyes fluttered open. Her wrists and ankles were sore from healing back up and she began to pick out blurred figures. A messy tuft of silver hair gave her hope, but then she inhaled a familiar scent.

_Uncle Rido!_

Then the stench of blood caught in her nose and she limply turned her head to see tiny droplets of blood tricking down Airi's arm and dripping off her tiny fingers. Yuki's eyes snapped open and immediate tears began spilling over. Sudden rage filled her blood and the ground began to tremble.

"No." Her voice shook as she spoke. "No!"

She screamed as loud as she could, a piercing shriek that sent everyone to their knees clutching at the itching ears, even Rido, who was now shocked to see his niece awake. The altar beneath Yuki began to crack, and then the ground, and then the walls. Shizuka screamed in pain. Her fingertips started to shrivel away into sand and she exclaimed, "No, no this can't be happening!"

She glanced at Rido. The locks of his hair turned into dust and sand, spilling to the ground. He looked back at his lover in accusation and pain.

"What is this?" he demanded, reaching out for her, but then his hands began to shrivel away as well.

"No!" Shizuka screamed, the rest of her body dissolving into a pile of sand. The single bell that adorned her kimono clinked to the ground and jingled a bit before it lay still on the marble floor. Rido cried out in pain and then exploded in a burst of sand.

"Yuki," Zero groaned, still clutching his ears. "Yuki!"

He rose to his feet and fell at the altar, taking a hold of the chains that still imprisoned Yuki. The shocks sent pain spiraling up his spine but he ignored it, tugging the first one free. Yuki stopped screaming, and as soon as her right arm was free, reached over towards Airi.

"My baby!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Airi, Airi!"

Kaien stopped Kaname as he was about to go towards the small table Airi laid on. He went up to inspect her himself and suddenly averted his gaze.

"Oh god," he said, his voice trembling violently. He slid to his knees and began to cry for his granddaughter.

"No," Yuki whispered. "Father, no!"

Kaien covered his face with one hand and nodded. Zero freed Yuki's other arm and pulled her into his arms to let her cry. She sobbed violently and dug her nails into Zero's arms. There was a huge pain in her chest where it felt as if someone had ripped out her heart and thrown it into the fires of hell. A few tears leaked from Zero's eyes as well.

Even Kaname began to cry into Ruka's shoulder at the sight of Kaien wrapping up his daughter's tiny body so it was well concealed from Yuki's eyes.

Akane and her team stood silently in respect for the family who had just lost one of the most precious additions to their family, almost as quickly as they had welcomed her.

_We were too late,_ Akane thought, letting a single tear escape her eyes.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow this is the second chapter (though not the same story) I've written in a row designed to make you cry. Ok, before you guys get so incredibally mad at me I had planned this from the beginning. And I'm still not finished by the way.


	26. Lullaby

Cross Academy was extremely quiet, the Moon Dorm was even more so. The human students, who knew nothing of what had happened over the past few days even felt a chill of sadness envelope them as they went from class to class. In the Moon Dorm, everyone walked around almost robotically.

No one spoke to one another that much.

No one smiled.

No one laughed.

All was silent.

The Headmaster sat at his desk. Kaname and Zero sat on opposite couches that adorned the office.

"This might be the most inappropriate question to ask," said Zero, "but does anyone know how Shizuka and Rido died?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?" said Kaname flatly. "Yuki killed them. She may not have known it though."

"She's always been a powerful pureblood," said Kaien. "Emotions are a huge factor in a pureblood's power. So when she saw Airi de… when she saw Airi, all the emotion from sorrow, anger, hatred, you name it was unleashed at once at her enemies, in this case, Shizuka and Rido. It's as simple as that."

Zero nodded and stared ahead of him at the coffee table between him and Kaname.

"Has Yuki shown any signs of recovery?" he asked. The Headmaster shook his head.

"She is still severely traumatized from Airi's death. She has been in her room for the past three days. She hasn't eaten anything, slept at all, or spoken to anyone."

"And we can't do anything?" asked Kaname.

"It's a mourning process," said Kaien. "Just let her get through it."

"She shouldn't go through it alone," said Zero aggravated.

"If either of you young men knows a way to help a devastated mother, please be my guest, go to her."

Kaname placed his head in his hands and huffed out a heavy sigh.

"She was too young to die," he said lowly. "Why, why did this have to happen?"

He thought back to the few moments he knew with his baby girl, seeing her for the first time, watching Yuki hold her, _learning_ how to hold her.

It was too soon. He wanted to watch her hair grow in, to hear her first word, celebrate her first birthday, see her first steps, watch her finger-paint a picture of "Daddy, mommy and me", walk her to school, help her ride her first bicycle, read books with her by candlelight, give her piggy back rides, have tea parties with her; all of it he wanted to do with Airi, and all of that was gone in a puff of wind, a string of breaths, a choked sobbing sigh.

Kaname didn't realize how much he had until it was gone. Fatherhood, the love for a daughter, all of it, gone.

He gripped the bangs that fell in front of his face and resisted the tears that welled up behind his closed eyelids. He would mourn, he would cry, but not now, not in front of Zero and the Headmaster.

Not in front of the world

* * *

Ruka paced the hallway. She passed Yuki's room and slowed down a bit. Yuki still sat on her bed, like she had been doing so for the past three days, shoulders hunched and unruly hair falling in her dead eyes. Her hands held a lightly crumpled sheet of paper, but she stared at the empty crib in front of her, tasseled with pink lace and velvet hearts.

"Yuki?" said Ruka. Yuki didn't look up to even recognize Ruka's presence, but she came in and sat down next to her all the same.

"Yuki you haven't moved," she continued. "You should at least eat something."

The subtlest shake of Yuki's head.

"Yuki please, at least look at me. I know we haven't exactly gotten a long in the past but this isn't healthy for you."

Yuki blinked a few times and her fingers curled tighter around the piece of paper. Ruka looked over into the crib, filled with stuffed animals and notes from loved ones saying goodbye. There was even a picture the Headmaster had managed to take of Airi in Yuki's arms. That was the only picture they had though.

"A week and half," Yuki whispered. "A week and half old."

Ruka looked down, and then caught what was written on the piece of paper in Yuki's hands.

"What is that?" she asked. "Were you writing something?"

"I wrote it recently," said Yuki. "I was going to sing it to her at night while I played the piano or something…" Her voice broke. "I never got t-to."

A tear rolled down Yuki's cheek and her lower lip trembled. Ruka inched a little closer to Yuki and wrapped an arm around her. She uncurled Yuki's fingers and straightened out the piece of paper.

"You still have a chance to," said Ruka. "It…it can be your way of saying good-bye."

A sob caught in Yuki's throat.

"Here… I'll help you." Ruka pulled Yuki a little closer and read the lullaby, playing it out in her head of how it would sound. Then she lightly cleared her throat and started to sing.

_I remember like it was yesterday_

_The strangest feeling I'd ever known_

_To know that you're mine_

_And I love you as my child_

_It all happened so fast_

_I turned around and you were here_

_And all at once I felt home_

Ruka barely heard Yuki's voice as she shakily tried to sing along with her.

_So hush my little girl_

_Just close your eyes and dream_

_And let mommy sing you a lullaby_

_So hush little child_

_Just rest in this calming peace_

_Let mommy sing you a lullaby_

Immediately after the last note, Yuki burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. Ruka wrapped her arms around her, allowing her to cry into her shoulder.

"I know this is painful," said Ruka, rubbing Yuki's back. "But… if you think about it, Airi had the best life out of anyone on this planet. She never got in trouble, she never knew anyone but family. She immediately loved everyone she saw. All she knew was love. Doesn't that count for something?"

Yuki didn't respond. Ruka didn't expect her to, but at least she knew that Airi was in a better place somewhere, even if everyone who loved her wouldn't be for a long time.

* * *

**A/N**: The story is almost over guys, sorry I have to end it somewhere. The "lullaby" lyrics come from a song a good friend of mine wrote about his newborn daughter, and I adapted it to my story. You can listen to the full version here: .com/musicbychristaylor/music

It's called "Maggie's Lullaby". (BTW, the other song "The Conversation" is a heavy metal song, so be careful that you choose the right one.)


	27. Free

_Dear __Father,_

_I'm sure by the time you read this I will already be gone. Don't worry, I'm not dead. I'm just going away for a while. I'm not going to disappear like I did last time. I just need some time away from everything…and everyone._

_I know Airi's death has affected everyone severely and maybe I am acting upon selfish by leaving without saying goodbye, but she was my daughter. Kaname has Ruka and I'm not asking Zero to come with me. I don't want him to see me this way…_

_By now I am pretty much just scratching out whatever comes to my mind in this letter but I just want to say that I'm sorry for all the worry and grief I have caused you for the past year. But what's done is done, and we can't do anything about it so it is best that you move on as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner I can come home and start fresh._

_I'm not going to lie, I honestly wish I could curl up and die right now just to see Airi's face once more, even for a second, but I'm not going to take my life because I have other people who still need me. Cross Academy will always be my home, but when I return I won't return for long. I need to make my home somewhere else. I am eighteen today, after all._

_Anyway, I'll see you…whenever. I love you father and I hope I do not hurt you too much through this letter._

_-Love Yuki_

Kaien held the hastily written letter on his desk, his thumb running over the uneven black patches where Yuki had dropped ink from the quill. His eyes continued over the one line "_I am eighteen today, after all_."

_Why would she leave on her birthday,_ he thought. There was really no sense in questioning Yuki's motives, since she usually didn't have them, but Kaien could see the difference in the Yuki he had taken in from that snowy night twelve years ago, and the Yuki that was now gone without a word other than the chicken scratch on the parchment.

"So she really did leave?" said Kaname, entering the room. The Headmaster nodded lightly and closed his eyes.

"I'm not surprised," Kaname continued. "That night she was attacked by that vampire has nothing on the trauma she must have experience by seeing Airi…" His voice broke and trailed off.

"I know," the Headmaster finished. "But we have to trust she's making the right choice. I think she just doesn't want anyone to see her in this state."

His fingers skimmed over the paper and then halted at the feel of another piece of paper. He opened his eyes to see yet another letter, much more neatly written, but it was not from Yuki.

_Headmaster,_

_I came in here and saw Yuki's letter. She's crazy if she thinks I'm not going to go with her so I wrote this in a hurry. I'll take care of her. That's all that need be said._

_-Zero_

Kaien sighed and shook his head.

"And to think at one point he was chasing after her to kill her," he said.

"Zero?" said Kaname. Kaien nodded.

"He's gone after her," he said. "Not to stop her. I think he just wants to help comfort her."

Kaname made a "hmm" noise as if he understood, which in a way he did. Ruka almost never left his side now except for now seeing as though she was asleep. She always was there, making sure he didn't fall too deeply into grief and loss.

Akane and her team had returned back to the Vampire Hunter Headquarters, so it was a bit less tense with one less gun, but for some reason, the tension had not gone down, even though Kaname knew of Zero's absence, along with the Bloody Rose. Maybe it wasn't necessarily Zero he loathed all this time. Come to think of it, he supposed he had learned to respect Zero in a way. Zero had been able to stick by Yuki's side and connect with her on a more personal level than brotherly and sisterly bond. That was probably where the jealously had come in.

A silent goodbye went out to his sister and Kaname closed his eyes, letting the past fall out of his mind.

* * *

The snow was beginning to melt around Yuki's brown boots as she trudged along the side of the cobblestone road. The town was deserted at this time in the morning and she wanted to get as far away from the Academy as she could. Her stomach grumbled furiously. She hadn't eaten in days. To her surprise, the parfait shop that she had come to know, love and attend regularly was open earlier than usual.

The sweet familiar smell drew Yuki to the door to see the waitress setting down a cup of coffee on a booth table in the back. The bell on the door jingled as Yuki hesitantly entered. The waitress turned up from the table and towards the entrance, shifting her weight to her left leg. The subtle movement revealed the customer she had been serving the coffee to.

"Somehow I knew you wouldn't be able to resist coming in here," said Zero, leaning against the wall of the booth. His long body took up the entire bench he sat on with one leg bent and the other relaxed, a familiar stance for him.

For the first time in a while, Yuki felt a small spark of warmth in her chest. Zero kicked his legs under the table and held his hand out for her. Yuki slowly approached and sat down next to him. The restaurant was still dimly lit. Everything had a grayish tint to it, making the gloomy morning blend in with the inside of the restaurant.

Zero took a sip of his coffee and wrapped his arms around Yuki, pulling her close in a comforting embrace. He gently placed Yuki's head against his chest and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm not letting you go alone," he whispered. "You were stupid to think you could go alone."

"How did you get ahead of me?" Yuki said flatly, staring at the steam from the coffee in front of her.

"The same way I've managed to find you all the times you were in trouble."

"Mhmm."

Zero paused.

"Happy birthday."

"Th...thanks."

Yuki leaned against Zero's broad chest, taking in his familiar scent. It seemed like forever that they had been here in this very booth.

"Do you remember the last time we were here?" she asked softly, taking Zero's hand and tangling their fingers together limply.

"Like it was yesterday."

"I was scarfing down the parfait. I didn't even ask if you wanted to come here. I just drug you in here and plopped us down in this booth."

"Yea I wanted actual food."

"That was…" She trailed off for a moment. "…so long ago."

_When I wasn't even aware I was a vampire, _she thought. A few locks of hair fell past her shoulder. It was growing out again. Zero noticed where her attention was drawn to and took a lock in his fingers.

"I like it this length," he said quietly. "Not too long, not to short."

"I'll probably keep it like this," Yuki replied. "Too short isn't appropriate anymore. Too long… just brings back painful memories."

"If we knew all the things we know now then," Zero said, stroking the back of Yuki's hand with his thumb. "So where were you planning on running off to?"

Yuki shrugged and closed her eyes, breathing in Zero's musky scent mixed with the rich black coffee on the table.

"As far from Cross Academy as I can get," she whispered. Zero's arm tightened around her shoulders, pulling her closer, away from the world. She buried her face in his jacket, trying to resist the urge to cry again. She couldn't cry anymore. For so long she had cried and cried and cried, sometimes for the stupidest reasons.

Looking back, Yuki realized she had grown up a lot with what had happened to her. From being a ditzy student of Cross Academy to being the Kuran princess to being a mother, and then losing her only child, she had changed over these events. Everything had affected her in such an extreme way. She would gladly give away her recently acquired maturity to get her daughter back, but since that wouldn't happen, she would live up to her adulthood to the fullest.

If she had more children, which was just as painful to think about now, she would tell them about their sister, Airi, despite her short, strange story.

"Come on," said Zero, pulling Yuki into an upright position. "Let's go somewhere quiet. You don't have to be alone through this."

Yuki nodded and slid out of the booth. Zero put 400 yen down on the table and picked up his large bag that had been leaning against the wall.

They left the café once more as they had done two years ago, yet they were completely different people. And as Zero kept his arm around Yuki through their whole journey away from the place where they had grown up, Yuki couldn't help but look back once. The gothic towers of the Academy peaked over the tops of the buildings in town, as if to wave goodbye. Their shingles glimmered in the rising sunlight.

Yuki turned around, leaving her home behind for the second time. The first with Kaname, when she had still been reluctant and unsure of her life. This time, she left with a clear conscience and the true one she loved by her side. Yes, they weren't riding off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

Yuki didn't think they could ever truly have a fairytale relationship with their scarred and bloody past, but over time, after so many crossing of their paths, they finally were one unified path together. Where the path took Yuki she didn't know. But it was her life now, and it would be how she made it. Not her parents, not her brother, no one.

She was free.

The end...

* * *

A/N: Yes, it's true. The long series is over. I feel like crying now, but I had decided from the beginning that I didn't want a happy fairy tale ending, or even a really happy ending. I guess I'm going through a phase of creating scarred and hurt characters. I hate perfection in stories (maybe that's why I hated Kaname).

But anyway. For my thanks!

Thanks to...

**Saranha de Angelo** for the first comment. (And realizing my careless mistake on my very first chapter).

**BorderlineCrazyHuman** and **stabpinmonkey** for realizing my OOC on Kaname. Hopefully I fixed it to your satisfaction.

**Michi4** (the writer of my fav ZeroxYuki story on here) for all your wonderful reviews.

**XxSakura-HimexX** for your hilarious reviews.

**Whitewolfffy** for your equally funny review by throwing a pie in Kaname's face.

**DofD** for your short sweet (every chapter) reviews.

**BelleDayNight** for your frequent reviews.

**xXthenextbookwormXx** for your strong will to not call Shizuka innappropriate names. ;-)

**crawfish4** for your honesty about my constant cliffhangers.

And an _**EXTRA**_ thanks to **Wishing Rose** for her creative assistance during my time of plot hole creating writer's block.

I love you all! Thanks for sticking with me through this whole dramatic and tragic journey. And hey, I might even make a sequel. (MIGHT, key phrase)


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